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) Can Tho City statistics indicate that in 2025, following the merger of three former administrative entities - Can Tho, Hau Giang and Soc Trang - fisheries output in 2025 increased by 6.23% compared with 2024 with aquaculture production nearly 9.1 times higher than capture fisheries.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to the Ca Mau Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ca Mau province has achieved significant, comprehensive and substantive progress in combating IUU fishing in 2025, successfully fulfilling all tasks directed by the central government and strengthening fisheries governance. These efforts have established a solid foundation for the nationwide effort to lift the EC’s "yellow card" warning.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Ca Mau has exceeded its 2025 production targets, reaching nearly 595,000 tons of shrimp. This milestone reinforces the province’s position as Vietnam’s leading shrimp producer and a bright spot in the country’s seafood sector.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to Vietnam Customs data, cumulative shrimp exports from the beginning of the year through November reached $4.3 billion, up 21% year-on-year, continuing to serve as the primary growth driver of the entire seafood sector. In November alone, export turnover amounted to $393 million, up 14%.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, the fisheries sector continued to stand out as a bright spot in Ca Mau’s economic landscape, maintaining positive growth in both output and value.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) By the end of November 2025, Vietnam’s total pangasius export turnover had exceeded the $2 billion threshold, registering a 9% compared with the same period in 2024. In November alone, pangasius exports reached $195 million, also posting a 9% increase year-on-year, underscoring a stable recovery trajectory for the sector in the final months of the year.
Building on over three decades of trusted leadership, VASEP is proactively shaping a Dynamic Knowledge Ecosystem where data is transformed into actionable value and forward-looking insights for the business community
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) An Giang is focusing on expanding climate-adaptive marine aquaculture models, aiming for safe and sustainable production. This approach not only enhances economic efficiency but also helps fishermen stabilize their livelihoods amid weather fluctuations.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first 10 months of 2025, Vietnam’s pangasius export value to China (including Mainland China and Hong Kong) reached $483 million, up 1% compared to the same period in 2024. October alone posted $73 million, a strong 19% increase year-on-year. The Chinese market currently accounts for nearly 27% of Vietnam’s total pangasius export value.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to data from Vietnam Customs, the country’s lobster exports posted another strong month in October 2025, reaching $93 million - a 75% increase from the same month in 2024. This performance extends the sector’s impressive growth streak from earlier in the year, pushing cumulative exports for the first 10 months to $712 million, up an extraordinary 135% year-over-year. Within the product mix, green lobster remained the dominant driver, accounting for 98% of total export value, with $700 million recorded in the first 10 months - a 141% jump year-on-year. In contrast, exports of spiny lobster and other lobster varieties declined slightly by 22% and 1%, respectively, indicating that market demand is becoming increasingly concentrated on the most sought-after product line.
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
