Transportation company Hapag-Lloyd have recently announced that from April 1st 2014, they would charge goods from Vietnam to the U.S. and Canada with an increase of US$240 per a 20-foot container; US$300 per 40-foot one. At the same time, container shipping lines like Cosco and U.S.Lines also reported a similar hike in freight fees for the same lines. Since April 15th, freight charged on shipments from the U.S. and Canada to Vietnam is expected to hike from US$40-100 for a 20 foot or 40 foot container.
Freight charges for shipments from Asian countries including Vietnam to Nordic and Mediterranean countries will surge to US$150 for 20 foot container and US$250 for 40 foot container since the early this month. Freight costs for cargoes from Vietnam to Australia will increase to US$200 – 400 per a 20 or 40 foot container.
Since the early year, continuous acceleration in freight charges by shipping companies as well as rise in other costs have created more challenges for Vietnam seafood exporters.
Currently, 90 percent of total goods shipped from Vietnam is transported by foreign shipping companies. The rest of 10 percent is shipped by domestic transportation companies. 100 percent of goods shipped by containers are transported by foreign shipping companies, Mr. Do Xuan Quynh, General Secretary of Vietnam Shipowners' Association(VSA) said.
Since April 1st, with 30 percent hike in freight costs to EU as informed by shipping companies, an exporter with 200 containers of exported goods must pay further VND4 billion per month. Payment by a large exporter with 400-450 containers will be doubled. Besides, exporters must face unreasonable hikes in other costs, some seafood exporters based in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province commented.
According to a large pangasius exporter, if a container must pay US$700 – 1,000 for freight cost, the price of 1 kilogram of pangasius will be forced to increase to 15-20 cent. While it is hard for exporters to increase fish prices at the current time.
Shipping costs for a 20 foot container in Viet Nam are currently 10-15 percent higher than those in other regional countries including Thailand and the Philippines. While export price is unchanged or even requested to reduce by the buyers. This creates more difficulties for seafood exporters.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The year 2025 marked a pivotal milestone for Vietnam’s seafood industry in its restructuring process toward sustainability, transparency, and higher value creation, amid continued uncertainties in the global economic and trade environment. Prolonged inflation in major economies, the rising trend of trade protectionism, and increasingly stringent requirements related to environmental standards, traceability, and social responsibility have posed significant challenges to seafood production and exports. Nevertheless, overcoming these pressures, Vietnam’s seafood sector has gradually demonstrated its adaptability, maintained growth momentum, and laid an important foundation for the next stage of development.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Amid the increasingly evident impacts of drought and saltwater intrusion, the shrimp-rice production model in Ca Mau province continues to prove itself as a viable direction, contributing to higher farmer incomes, improved soil conditions and the promotion of ecological and sustainable agricultural development.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The management of fishing vessels, monitoring of fishing activities, and handling of violations in the fisheries sector in Lam Dong province have continued to be implemented in a synchronized and stringent manner, contributing to raising awareness of legal compliance among fishermen and aiming to end illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Can Tho’s fishery industry sustained steady growth in 2025 with total aquatic and marine output reaching nearly 783,000 tons, fulfilling 100% of the annual target. Aquaculture, capture fisheries and fishing fleet management were further strengthened, aiming for sustainable development in the coming years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s pangasius export turnover reached nearly USD 2.2 billion, up 8% year-on-year. This result indicates that pangasius exports maintained their growth momentum despite significant volatility in the global market environment. In December 2025, pangasius export value reached USD 200 million, up 10% compared to December 2024. This solid performance in the final month of the year reflects increased import demand for consumption and inventory replenishment in key markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Spain experienced significant fluctuations. According to Vietnam Customs, during the first 11 months of 2025, export turnover for the first 11 months of the year edged up by 0.3% year-on-year, reaching nearly $15 million.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son has signed Decision No. 16/QD-TTg, dated January 5, 2026, approving the implementation plan for the Vietnam-Israel Free Trade Agreement (VIFTA). Under the plan, in the coming period, ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-affiliated entities and People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities must institutionalize and execute tasks focused on the dissemination of information regarding VIFTA and the Israeli market; legislative and institutional development, as well as enhancing competitiveness and human resource growth...
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Beyond achieving double-digit growth, Vietnam’s fish cake and surimi exports are showing a notable year-end "inflection point": the EU his accelerating with nearly twofold growth, China & Hong Kong are rising sharply, while the largest market, South Korea, signaled a slowdown in November. According to Vietnam Customs data, export turnover of fish cake and surimi reached $327 million in the first 11 months of 2025, up 22% year-on-year; November 2025 alone accounted for $35 million, marking a 5% increase. This serves as a critical foundation for exporters to reassess market structures and competitive intensity while finalizing order strategies for 2026.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Ca Mau, widely regarded as the nation’s “shrimp capital”, continued its strong performance in 2025 as shrimp output reached nearly 600,000 tons, maintaining its position as Vietnam’s leading shrimp-producing locality.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On December 29, 2025, at the 2025 Pangasius Industry Review Conference held in Can Tho City, the Vietnam Pangasius Association announced that fingerling prices have surged to record levels due to acute supply shortages.
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