Vietnam Customs said that in the first half of 2013, seafood exports reached US$2.89 billion, increasing by only 0.3 percent. Shrimp products made up the largest part in total export revenue with US$1.1 billion. Shrimp also got the strongest growth of 8.6 percent among Vietnam’s exported seafood products.
Whiteleg shrimp exports up 71.5 percent
In the first half of 2013, whiteleg shrimp exports only reported a 32.8 percent drop in value in February and increased by 9 percent, 22.9 percent and 18.5 percent in the consecutive three months of the second quarter. Between April and June, export value for this item reached US$230 million averagely. Shrimp sales accounted for 38 percent of the first half’s seafood exports, up 3 percent over the same period of 2012.
Currently, shrimp import volume into some international key markets has not increased but the prices continued to soar. The higher prices were mainly due to poor supply from Thailand – the world’s largest shrimp producer. Between January and June 2013, Thai shrimp production fell deeply as the producers in this country have been affected by EMS and bad weather conditions.
In the context of the economic downturn, whiteleg shrimp is becoming a good choice for consumers in the global market due to its cheaper price. So far, this species represented 41.3 percent of Vietnam’s total shrimp exports, while black tiger shrimp occupied 50.8 percent and marine shrimp 7.9 percent. Whiteleg shrimp just went down 19.5 percent in February and rose 5.8 – 71.5 percent in the following months.
Slow growth in pangasius exports
Though it has shown signal of growth from 1.8 to 40.7 percent in four out of six months, Vietnam pangasius exports value still decreased by 0.5 percent to a total of US$849.5 million in the first half of 2013.
During the first half of 2013, ASEAN, Mexico and Brazil reported a strong rise in imports of pangasius from Vietnam. ASEAN purchase grew from 8.5 – 82.2 percent; Brazil got two-digit growth, especially imports in May and June up more than 110 percent. Mexico also showed positive signs in imports in most months. The rise in exports to these three countries compensated losses from Vietnam’s two key markets, the U.S and the EU.
Since May 2013, the U.S. has passed the EU to be the largest importer of Vietnam pangasius, though Vietnamese companies are imposed high antidumping duty on fish fillets exported to this market. EU purchase of pangasius continued plummeting from 5.3 – 39 percent compared to the compatible time of 2012, making exporters boost their shipments to the U.S. In June 2013, in fact, exports to the U.S. increased by 12.8 percent.
Between January and June 2013, pangasius products sent to the EU was down 14 percent and accounted for 23 percent in total exports.
Sharp decrease in exports of marine products
Vietnamese companies continued to report a sharp decrease of 10 – 27 percent in exports of marine products in many months between January and June 2013. The drop was registered in many subsectors like marine fish, fish paste and surimi, crab, swimming crab and other crustaceans, cephalopod, and bivalve mollusks.
Through June 2013, earnings from marine fish sales went down of 4.2 percent; cephalopods down 22.8 percent; bivalve mollusks down nearly 2 percent; crab and swimming crab down 21.2 percent. Only tuna products got a slight growth of 2.7 percent. However, tuna exports slid 12.5 percent and 26.9 percent in May and June 2013 due to many challenges set by the U.S. and Japanese markets.
During the recent months, Vietnamese exporters found hard to sell marine fish, particularly tuna products, to Japanese market mainly due to the depreciation of yen and stricter food safety policy implemented by the Japanese government.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp industry is entering a period of strong transformation with the emergence of various high-tech farming models, helping improve productivity and competitiveness. Over the past 5–10 years, farming practices have shifted from traditional methods to intensive and super-intensive systems, featuring lined ponds, environmental sensors, automated feeding, and data management.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) With a focus on sustainable development, high-tech application, and climate change adaptation, An Giang Province aims to maintain its brackish water shrimp production in 2026 at a level equivalent to the previous year. Specifically, output is projected to reach over 155,510 tons, serving both domestic consumption and export processing, thereby sustaining the fisheries sector’s key role in the local economic structure.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the Mekong Delta, key pangasius farming provinces such as An Giang, Dong Thap, and Can Tho are accelerating the transition toward a circular economy model, contributing to higher product value and reduced environmental impact. Instead of focusing solely on farming and processing, the pangasius value chain is increasingly utilizing by-products and waste streams to generate added value.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s scallop exports are entering a phase of impressive growth, as the global market undergoes significant restructuring. In 2025, scallop export value reached nearly USD 66 million, up 49% from USD 44 million in 2024. This upward momentum has continued and accelerated into early 2026, with exports totaling USD 18.1 million in the first two months alone—an increase of 166% year-on-year. This represents an exceptionally high growth rate, reflecting the rapid expansion of a relatively new product segment within Vietnam’s mollusk export portfolio.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) – On March 19, at the Government Headquarters, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held a meeting with the European Commission (EC) inspection delegation on combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, led by Mr. Fernando Andresen Guimaraes, Head of Unit at the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE).
(vasep.com.vn) Australia is emerging as one of the most stable and promising growth markets for Vietnamese shrimp. Amid global trade disruptions driven by geopolitical tensions—particularly conflicts in the Middle East—strengthening and expanding into stable markets like Australia has become increasingly important for Vietnam’s shrimp industry.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first two months of 2026, Vietnam’s squid and octopus exports reached over USD 111 million, up 23% compared to the same period in 2025. This result indicates a positive start for the sector, reflecting early signs of demand recovery in multiple markets from the beginning of the year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first two months of 2026, Vietnam’s fisheries sector maintained positive growth momentum, with shrimp output exceeding 132 thousand tons. This result contributed to a strong increase in seafood export turnover, despite ongoing volatility in the global economy.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports maintained strong growth momentum in February 2026, with many markets recording sharp increases compared to the same period last year. In February alone, export value reached USD 8.4 million, up 148% year-on-year. Cumulatively, in the first two months of 2026, total tilapia export turnover hit USD 23 million, soaring 242% compared to the same period in 2025.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In global seafood trade, sensory evaluation is increasingly becoming one of the key “technical barriers” in many importing markets-especially the United States. Issues such as filth, and signs of decomposition/spoilage are often detected through sensory evaluation methods and remain common reasons for seafood import alerts, detentions, or shipment rejections.
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