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) Although Germany’s tuna imports have declined, Vietnam’s tuna exports to the market continue to show positive signs. Notably, export value recovered strongly in Q3/2026, and German import data also show Vietnamese products strengthening their position amid competition among suppliers.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood exports are holding double-digit growth, but the opportunities are not spread evenly across product groups and markets. As businesses draw up their plans for 2027, Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS2026) offers a chance to look ahead together: what to sell, where to sell it, and how to prepare for growth in the coming years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) With less than two weeks to go, the Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026) will officially take place in Can Tho. Under the theme “Seafood Market Outlook 2027–2029 – Opportunities and Potential for Double-Digit Export Growth,” the Summit is organized by VASEP at a time when seafood businesses are facing rapid market shifts, changing buyer demand, trade policy changes and growing competitive pressure all at once.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On October 28, 2026, the China Fisheries & Seafood Expo opened in Qingdao, China. The expo takes place over three days from October 28 to 30, 2026. This is a prestigious specialized seafood exhibition organized annually by Sea Fare Exposition Inc.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first nine months of 2026, Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the CPTPP bloc reached $7 million, marking a 51% year-on-year increase. The bloc rstands as the fourth-largest market for Vietnamese tilapia, trailing Brazil, the US, and Saudi Arabia.
(vasep.com.vn) VASEP has officially announced the program for Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026), featuring five in-depth sessions covering industry outlooks, trade barriers, buyer demand, the domestic market, and solutions to improve productivity and reduce costs across the seafood value chain.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached US$3.7 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 11% year on year. Although growth has been supported by China and several markets within the CPTPP, momentum is slowing as exports to the United States and the European Union decline. Tariff pressures, international competition, and raw material challenges are creating significant hurdles for exporters in the final months of the year.
(vasep.com.vn) Markets are changing faster, buyer requirements are becoming more demanding, and trade barriers are growing increasingly complex. In this environment, seafood businesses need more than an understanding of current market conditions. They need a longer-term perspective to answer a critical question: Where will growth opportunities come from in 2027–2029, and what should businesses do now to prepare? This is one of the key reasons why VASEP is organizing Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East reached US$113 million, up 7% year on year from the same period in 2025. Growth has become more pronounced in recent months. In August alone, exports to the region totaled US$20 million, an increase of 24%. This indicates that demand for Vietnamese pangasius in the Middle East is gradually recovering after a slowdown in March, although the pace of recovery varies across markets.
(vasep.com.vn) China’s shrimp imports continued to grow strongly in 2026, while Vietnam’s shrimp exports to the market also recorded notable growth. However, behind these positive figures lie two distinct trends: Chinese consumption is growing more slowly than imports, and lobster accounts for a substantial share of Vietnam’s shrimp exports to China, making its product mix significantly different from those of Ecuador and India. Exporters therefore need to assess each segment carefully to understand the opportunities and risks.
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