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.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first three months of 2026, Vietnam’s exports of fish cake and surimi reached USD 63 million, down 5% compared to the same period last year. Although total export value declined slightly due to decreases in some key markets, many other destinations continued to post strong growth, opening up room for this convenience-oriented processed segment in the coming quarters.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Favorable weather conditions in the early months of 2026 have brought encouraging signs for fisheries activities in Quang Tri. Output has grown steadily, contributing to improved livelihoods for local residents.
Entering 2026, Vietnam’s seafood industry is facing a period of both high expectations and mounting pressures. Following the positive recovery in 2025, production and export activities in Q1/2026 demonstrated the strong adaptability of Vietnam’s seafood business community amid continued global trade volatility, intensifying international competition, and increasingly stringent compliance requirements in import markets.
(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.
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