Seafood export turnover had reached US$2.9 billion as of end-June, up 10.6% year-on-year. This means the country has to export some US$3.9 billion worth of seafood products from now to the year’s end to achieve the new target of US$6.8 billion.
However, seafood exporters deemed such a target unobtainable by the year’s end due to multiple difficulties at present, especially capital shortage and shrinking markets.
Duong Ngoc Minh, vice chairman of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), said shipping charges in 2012 had increased 70% from 2011, while the costs of labor, power and environment had picked up 40%. The euro has depreciated by 25%, while Vietnam dong remains stable, putting exporters under capital pressure, said Minh at the review conference on tra fish production and consumption in the year’s first half held in Dong Thap in late June.
Meanwhile, VASEP general secretary Truong Dinh Hoe said tra fish export to the European Union (EU) had dropped 12%. VASEP ascribed such a decline to the eurozone public debt crisis and tariff pressure.
The decline in exports to EU can be covered by higher export volumes to the U.S. and Hong Kong. However, seafood firms said the problems in the local market were more worrying.
Minh of VASEP said: “The seafood industry is approaching “death”, a “death” at home. We have a great advantage in consumption market but the operation mechanism of banks, from lending rates to credit limits, has choked off capital circulation of enterprises. As such, enterprises and farmers are forced to sell their products at any price to repay debts.”
Without solution to remove the difficulties for the seafood sector, more traders would dump their products and more farmers would lack capital for reinvestment, making it hard to achieve the export target of this year, stated Minh.
According to the agriculture department of Tra Vinh, the shrimp cultivation area of the province is facing more severe diseases. As of mid-May, over 8,000 hectares of shrimp farming had been killed, equivalent to 15,000 tons of materials, bringing a loss of VND800-900 billion, said Nguyen Van Phong, vice chairman of Tra Vinh’s government.
Incomplete statistics show that diseases have caused damage worth some VND5 trillion in shrimp farming provinces, with tens of thousands of hectares of shrimp having died of diseases. Tra Vinh, Bac Lieu and Soc Trang are the provinces that suffer the most.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s exports of shelled mollusks recorded impressive growth in the first two months of 2025, reaching USD 41 million—an increase of 132% compared to the same period in 2024 (USD 18 million).
According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), in the first two months of 2025, Vietnam's shrimp exports recorded positive signs with strong growth in a number of important markets, of which lobster exports to China increased sharply.
In recent years, the agricultural and environmental sectors and localities in the province have created favorable conditions to develop and effectively maintain seafood chains, increasing income for people in rural areas.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to Vietnam Customs, the country’s pangasius exports regained growth momentum in February 2025. Export value reached USD 150 million, marking a 66% increase compared to February 2024. Cumulative pangasius export revenue for the first two months of the year totaled USD 284 million, up 11% year-on-year.
Minh Phu Seafood Corp, one of the leading enterprises in shrimp processing and export, is actively promoting cooperation with shrimp farmers to develop the shrimp industry in Ca Mau.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2024, Vietnam’s tuna exports to the Middle East continued their impressive growth, rising by 28% compared to 2023. The Middle East is now emerging as one of Vietnam’s top four tuna export markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Recently, the price of Pangasius in the Mekong Delta has increased significantly, making fishermen very excited. However, looking at the overall picture of this industry, the rise in Pangasius prices is not just an opportunity, but also comes with many challenges.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Dishes made from fish, especially pangasius, have become common and are found in nearly all restaurants, hotels, and banquets in Pakistan.
Looking back at the period from 2022 to 2024, crab exports to China have shown significant fluctuations. In 2022, China imported over 62 million USD worth of crabs, averaging 5-9 million USD per month, indicating a stable import demand from China. However, in 2023, exports sharply dropped to 13.3 million USD, averaging only 1-2 million USD per month, due to China's tighter quarantine controls and weakening consumption demand.
In January 2025, Vietnam's shrimp exports to the UK reached over 16 million USD, an 8% increase compared to the same period last year. The UK is the sixth-largest individual market for Vietnam’s shrimp imports, accounting for 5.5% of the total shrimp exports to various markets. Shrimp also holds the largest share (70%) in Vietnam’s total seafood exports to the UK.
VASEP - HIỆP HỘI CHẾ BIẾN VÀ XUẤT KHẨU THỦY SẢN VIỆT NAM
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