In terms of product structure, whiteleg shrimp remained the largest contributor with USD 573 million, accounting for 53.6% of total exports and rising 6.3%. Black tiger shrimp reached USD 80.7 million, up 10.8%. The most notable growth came from the “other shrimp” category, which totaled nearly USD 415 million, up 39.3%. Of this, lobster alone reached USD 345.5 million, surging 57.4% and becoming the key growth driver in the quarter. This indicates that while whiteleg shrimp remains the foundation of the industry, short-term growth is clearly driven by lobster and other high-value shrimp products.
By market, China and Hong Kong continued to lead growth, with exports reaching USD 440.1 million, up 57.2%, accounting for over 41% of Vietnam’s total shrimp exports. This market alone imported USD 341.6 million worth of Vietnamese lobster, up 58.4%, equivalent to 77.6% of total shrimp exports to China and Hong Kong. Meanwhile, exports to the EU reached USD 120.4 million, up 16.7%; CPTPP markets totaled USD 270.2 million, up 5%; Taiwan rose 59.2%; and ASEAN increased 38.6%, providing additional support for overall growth. In contrast, exports to the U.S. dropped sharply by 28.8% to USD 95.8 million; South Korea declined 1.4%; and markets such as Russia and Switzerland also continued to fall. Overall, Q1 data shows that growth is heavily dependent on China and a few alternative markets, while traditional markets remain slow to recover.
In the U.S., anti-dumping duties continue to be a major barrier for Vietnamese shrimp. Ongoing reviews of countervailing duties and risks of reciprocal tariffs have also made importers more cautious.
Another significant pressure comes from production and logistics costs. In Q1/2026, domestic shrimp prices generally declined toward the end of the quarter, while costs for feed, inputs, and transportation remained high. The conflict in Iran and tensions in the Middle East have continued to push up global energy and logistics costs, eroding profit margins and competitiveness for exporters.
Outlook for Q2/2026
In Q2/2026, Vietnam’s shrimp exports are likely to continue showing strong divergence. China and Hong Kong will remain the main growth drivers, especially for lobster and live/fresh shrimp, although growth may slow after the early-year peak season. The EU may continue to grow but is unlikely to maintain the same pace as in Q1, as buyers become more cautious and price competition from Ecuador and India intensifies. Japan and South Korea are expected to remain stable, with opportunities concentrated in processed and convenience products. The U.S. market may see some improvement toward the end of the quarter if uncertainty around tariff reviews eases, but overall it will still face pressure from tariffs, price competition, and logistics costs.
For the full year 2026, if no major policy shocks occur and domestic raw material supply is not severely disrupted by disease or high input costs, Vietnam’s shrimp exports could still achieve positive growth. However, growth is likely to remain uneven across quarters and markets. The industry will need to rely on two pillars: leveraging demand from China and high-value segments such as lobster, while strengthening the competitiveness of whiteleg and black tiger shrimp in key markets like the U.S., EU, Japan, and South Korea. As Ecuador continues to maintain a cost advantage and India remains a strong competitor in scale, Vietnam’s sustainable advantage will lie in deep processing, consistent quality, flexible supply capabilities, and increasingly strong compliance standards.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first quarter of 2026, Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached USD 1.069 billion, up 17.5% compared to the same period in 2025. This is a positive result amid an uneven global shrimp market recovery, intensifying competition among major suppliers, and continued volatility in the international trade environment. However, this growth does not reflect a broad-based recovery across the entire sector, but rather is driven mainly by strong performance in a few markets and specific product segments—most notably lobster exports to China.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tuna exports continued to decline in March 2026. Cumulatively, in the first three months of the year, export value reached USD 208 million, down 4% compared to the same period in 2025. The export landscape shows clear divergence across markets: while the U.S. and EU remain challenging, markets such as Russia, the Middle East, Egypt, the Philippines, and Mexico have emerged as growth bright spots.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In Quang Ngai Province, shrimp farming costs are rising sharply due to लगातार increases in feed, fuel, and input material prices, while farm-gate shrimp prices are declining. This has significantly reduced farmers’ profit margins and increased production risks.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports are experiencing impressive growth, reflecting expanding global demand as well as the sector’s development potential. However, behind the strong growth figures lie limitations in production capacity and supply chains, highlighting the need for sustainable development in the coming period.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East in 2025 and early 2026 have shown notable growth. However, escalating geopolitical tensions in the region have increasingly impacted export activities since March. This situation presents a challenge of balancing market expansion opportunities with rising trade risks.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The Quang Tri Department of Agriculture and Environment has instructed localities to base their stocking schedules on actual conditions in each farming area, while developing plans, allocating resources, and implementing synchronized measures for disease prevention and disaster risk management in aquaculture production.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first two months of 2026, Vietnam’s exports of fish cakes and surimi exceeded USD 45 million, up 7% compared to the same period in 2025, indicating a positive outlook for this product segment amid recovering demand in many markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) During the week from April 4th to 10th, 2026, Quang Ngai province intensified its monitoring and law enforcement activities with the determination to eliminate illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing practices.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Thanh Hoa’s shrimp sector is undergoing a strong transformation by accelerating the adoption of high technology, helping to improve productivity, increase profits, and meet market demands. The province currently has about 4,100 hectares of shrimp farming, with output continuing to rise despite stable farming area, mainly due to the shift from traditional methods to intensive and super-intensive farming.
(vasep.com.vn) Amid ongoing volatility in global seafood trade, Vietnam’s crab exports have made a fairly positive start to 2026. According to Vietnam Customs statistics, export turnover in the first two months of 2026 reached nearly USD 55 million, up 24% compared to the same period in 2025 and more than 2.2 times higher than in the same period of 2024. This indicates that crab exports are entering 2026 with stronger growth momentum, particularly in Asian markets.
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