Quarter I/2021: Marine product exports surged thanks to surimi, canned fish, and dried fish

News 08:09 27/04/2021 Lê Hằng
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to statistics of Vietnam Customs, in the first quarter of 2021, Vietnam seafood export reached 1.73 billion USD, up by 7% over the same period last year. In particular, the marine products accounted for a dominant proportion with 42% and an outstanding growth of 11% with a turnover of 728 million USD, surpassing shrimp (661 million USD, up by 5%) and pangasius (331 million USD, up by 3%).

Marine product exports surged thanks to surimi, canned fish, and dried fish

It is noteworthy that in the total marine product export value in the first 3 months of this year, there were 76% of turnover from marine fish products, of which tuna accounted for 21%, other marine fish accounted for 55%. Exported cephalopod products accounted for 16%, crab with 4.4%, and bivalve mollusk with 3.4%. In general, except for crab decreasing by nearly 4%, exports of main marine products  increased: tuna up 3%, other marine fish by 14.4%, octopus squid by 8%, bivalve mollusk by 26%.

Exports of surimi, canned fish, fish sauce and dried seafood have grown strongly

There are a number of product lines from marine fish having impressive growths in exports, significantly contributing to seafood exports in the first quarter of 2021. First of all, surimi products with 83 million USD, up by 33%, accounted for 11.5% of marine product exports (4.8% of total seafood exports). Top 4 markets that dominate the majority of Vietnam's surimi exports include Korea (27%), Thailand (25%), Russia (10%) and Japan (10%).

Dried fish exports (except tuna) also saw a breakthrough, up by nearly 70% to 48.3 million USD, accounting for 6.6% of the total marine product export. The Chinese market alone consumes about 45% of Vietnam's dried fish exports, followed by South Korea with 13.4%. Russia, Japan, and Malaysia are also in the top 5, accounting for 12%, 8.5% and 7.4% respectively.

Canned marine  fish (excluding tuna) increased 31% to 20.3 million USD, other processed marine  fish increased by 22% to 72 million USD, accounting for 10% of marine product export. Canned tuna exports also increased by 14% to $45 million. Top 3 markets that consume the most canned fish from Vietnam include Japan (25%), Thailand 24%, America 24%. Notably, our neighbor Cambodia is ranked 4th and accounts for over 10% of Vietnam's canned fish exports in the first quarter.

In addition to marine fish, in the dried product segment, markets also increase the import of dried squid and dried marine shrimp from Vietnam. Therefore, the export of dried squid in the first quarter of 2021 increased by 32% to 28 million USD, accounting for 3.8% of marine product exports, dried shrimp exports nearly doubled over the same period in 2020, reaching 7.4 million USD.

The export of fish sauce and all kinds of seasoned fish sauce also increased by 33%, reaching $7.6 million. Frozen octopus exports increased by 16% and accounted for 6.6% of marine product exports.

Covid continues to influence exports of frozen fish fillets and squid

The export of fillet products or meat from marine fish (except tuna) also accounted for a high proportion in the total seafood export, with over 15%, but in the first 3 months of this year only slightly increased by 0.3%, reaching over 111 million dollars. For this product line, the majority (about 60% of the value) is from imported raw materials for export production or processing for export, so export business is affected more in the first quarter of this year when transportation costs increased and there was a lack of containers for import and export ...

In addition, some product lines continued to decline in sales, such as fresh/frozen marine fish down by 26.5%, processed tuna down by 5%, loin/fillet down by 3%, frozen squid down by 8%, processed octopus decreased by 22% ... This is considered a trend of decreasing demand in the context of Covid for high-priced product lines.

marine products seafood exports

TIN MỚI CẬP NHẬT

Da Nang city takes strong action against IUU fishing

 |  11:12 05/12/2025

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Currently, Da Nang City has no fishing vessels detained, sanctioned by foreign authorities, or criminally prosecuted for IUU fishing violations. Patrols, monitoring of marine fishing activities, and handling of violations have been prioritized by competent forces, significantly reducing nearshore fishing infringements.

Vietnam’s tuna exports to Israel drop nearly 50% in the first 9 months of 2025

 |  09:13 04/12/2025

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to statistics from Vietnam Customs, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Israel in the first nine months of 2025 reached just over USD 27 million, down as much as 49% compared to the same period in 2024. This is a steep and prolonged decline for many consecutive months, reflecting changes in import demand as well as shifts in the supply structure of this market.

Vietnam exports first shipment of 700 tons of tilapia to Brazil

 |  09:42 02/12/2025

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The first 700 tons of Vietnamese tilapia ordered and imported by JBS Group will initially be distributed through supermarket chains, the Horeca network and JBS’s product showrooms in Brazil.

Pangasius Exports in October 2025: Positive Growth Momentum Led by China's Recovery

 |  12:40 28/11/2025

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In October 2025, Vietnam’s pangasius exports hit $217 million, representing an 8% increase compared to the same month in 2024. For the first 10 months of the year, total export value has surpassed $1.8 billion, up 9% year-on-year. This growth demonstrates clear positive momentum for the pangasius industry, despite continued declines in certain markets.

Appeal letter: Calling for Support to overcome the consequences of flooding in the central provinces

 |  10:39 27/11/2025

In recent days, the Central provinces of Vietnam have been suffering from historic flooding, with prolonged heavy rains, landslides, flash floods, and deep inundation causing extremely serious impacts on tens of thousands of households, as well as many VASEP member exporters located in the region. With the spirit of mutual support and solidarity, and in order to promptly assist residents and member exporters in the affected areas to stabilize their lives and restore production activities, VASEP calls on all seafood exporters, organizations, and individuals to extend supports to the people and member exporters in the flood-hit areas. We urge timely and practical material and spiritual contributions to help member exporters and local communities in the severely affected provinces overcome this difficult period.

Raw shrimp prices remain stable, slight declines in some sizes at the end of October 2025

 |  09:04 26/11/2025

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the final days of October 2025, Vietnam’s domestic raw shrimp market remained generally stable, though slight adjustments were recorded in several sizes across key farming regions.

Vietnam’s shrimp exports in October 2025 hit the highest level since the beginning of the year

 |  08:26 25/11/2025

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached USD 498 million in October 2025, up 26% from the same period last year. This is one of the highest monthly revenues since the beginning of the year, reflecting solid demand in major markets and faster shipment schedules by exporters. From January to October, shrimp export value reached USD 3.9 billion, up 22% compared to the same period in 2024.

US temporarily suspends import ban on crab from Vietnam and three Asian countries

 |  09:03 24/11/2025

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On October 31, 2025, the US Court of International Trade (CIT) officially issued an order to suspend the case filed by the National Fisheries Institute (NFI), the National Restaurant Association (NRA), and several US seafood companies against the US Government concerning the implementation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).

An Giang’s fisheries sector makes active contributions to the marine economy and international integration

 |  09:15 21/11/2025

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) An Giang’s fisheries sector has maintained stable growth momentum during the first nine months of 2025, making an important contribution to the province’s socio-economic development. Despite facing numerous challenges, the province is implementing various measures to enhance production efficiency, expand markets, and promote sustainable fisheries development toward deeper integration into the global economy.

Vietnam pangasius exports in September 2025: Driven by CPTPP markets and processed products

 |  11:24 19/11/2025

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius export value in September 2025 reached USD 181 million, up 5% compared to the same period in 2024. The overall trend for the pangasius industry remains positive, with total exports in the first nine months of 2025 reaching nearly USD 1.6 billion, an increase of 9% year-on-year.

VASEP - HIỆP HỘI CHẾ BIẾN VÀ XUẤT KHẨU THỦY SẢN VIỆT NAM

Chịu trách nhiệm: Ông Nguyễn Hoài Nam - Phó Tổng thư ký Hiệp hội

Đơn vị vận hành trang tin điện tử: Trung tâm VASEP.PRO

Trưởng Ban Biên tập: Bà Phùng Thị Kim Thu

Giấy phép hoạt động Trang thông tin điện tử tổng hợp số 138/GP-TTĐT, ngày 01/10/2013 của Bộ Thông tin và Truyền thông

Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 – (ext.203); email: kimthu@vasep.com.vn

Trụ sở: Số 7 đường Nguyễn Quý Cảnh, Phường An Phú, Quận 2, Tp.Hồ Chí Minh

Tel: (+84) 28.628.10430 - Fax: (+84) 28.628.10437 - Email: vasephcm@vasep.com.vn

VPĐD: số 10, Nguyễn Công Hoan, Ngọc Khánh, Ba Đình, Hà Nội

Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 - Fax: (+84 24) 37715084 - Email: vasephn@vasep.com.vn

© Copyright 2020 - Mọi hình thức sao chép phải được sự chấp thuận bằng văn bản của VASEP

DANH MỤC