“This year it’s more evenly spread out, whereas last year was more of a feast or famine,” Eastern Fisheries Executive Vice President Joe Furtado told IntraFish. Scallopers are coming out of a unique situation brought on by the Japan's nuclear fallout last year.
Even though seafood from Japan was safe to eat, negative consumer perception still lingered from the Fukushima nuclear meltdown, making seafood from Japan a risky commodity to try to sell, Furtado said.
That meant circulation of Japanese scallops, which have become a staple in the giant US and Chinese markets, went down dramatically, and prices responded accordingly by increasing dramatically. Figures from Seatrade International show prices at this time last year at $10.50 per pound for most sizes, whereas this year, with supply back up, prices are at $9.75 to $10.
The higher overall supply from Northern Japan, which is expected to hit the US market by early August, is having a big affect, Furtado said.
"The northern Japanese fishery has become a staple import for both the United States and China, and with the events surrounding last year’s tsunami, buyers were forced to shift their efforts more heavily into the US fishery," Furtado said. But both supply and prices could change as the year continues.
“Right now you're going to see the (US) landings slow down a little bit, and I think you're going to see boat prices arc upward," Ross Paasche, president of the American Scallop Association, told IntraFish.
At this time last year, prices started to arc upward, and by the end of the year, they had reached a 9 year high of $11 per pound for both 10-20 and 20-30 count per pound sizes.
Prices for scallops at the auction in New Bedford, Massachusetts:
8-10 per pound count: $10.54 on July 18
10-20 per pound count: $10.10 on July 17
Twelve and under per pound count: $9.90 on July 18
Demand up in China
Chinese scallop buyers are shifting their preferences towards higher end products in an effort to keep up with the country shifting landscape.
Over the past two years, Eastern Fisheries’ biggest area of growth has been in China, where demand for dry, chemical free, unadulterated, frozen scallops has increased dramatically, Furtado said.
Two years ago, just 10 percent of the scallops Eastern shipped to China were dry and chemical free. That number shifted to 50 percent last year, and 80 percent this year. However, this may not be a direct reflection of the final product form Chinese consumers are eating.
“I don’t know how many of those customers are taking those products and further processing themselves,” he said.
(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.
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