Vasep said that most seafood companies saw declines of 35-50 per cent in orders due to cancellations, delays or shortages of raw materials.
Many companies felt that the impact of COVID-19 would become more serious as the pandemic has spread more rapidly since the start of the month.
According to Vasep, exports of tra fish to China have stalled since January and exports to European Union (EU) markets were also encountering difficulties in March as the bloc closed its external borders. Demand was also dropping as people stayed at home to prevent the spread of the pandemic.
In mid-March, exports to the Middle East, Asia and South Africa also started to struggle.
Vasep said most seafood companies were suffering shortages of raw materials.
Around 35-50 per cent of orders for shrimp to the US and EU were delayed or cancelled due to low demand for consumption. Still, shrimp exports saw slight increases of 2.6 per cent to $383 million, mainly thanks to the increase of 16 per cent in exports to Japan while exports to China fell by 37 per cent and to EU by 15 per cent.
Seafood producers and exporters both faced high inventories, Vasep said.
Statistics from the General Department of Customs showed that seafood exports totalled more than US$990 million in the first two months of this year, a drop of 11 per cent against the same period of 2019.
Exports to China fell by 44 per cent, EU by 20 per cent, ASEAN markets by 4 per cent and the Republic of Korea by 9 per cent.
Vasep said that seafood exports to China in the first quarter of this year would see a drop of at least 20 per cent due to low demand in China and interrupted transportation via border gates due to the pandemic.
Tra fish exports would suffer the most as China was the largest market for Việt Nam’s tra fish, accounting for 35 per cent. Tra fish exports to China dropped by 52 per cent in the first two months and to the EU by 40 per cent.
Several tra fish companies expected exports to China to recover from next month and return to normal from June.
Vasep urged producers to focus on improving the quality of tra fish to promote exports to the US from next year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the context of a global economy shifting powerfully toward green and sustainable values, Vietfish 2026 is far more than just a commercial trade fair. It has become a strategic rendezvous and a "comprehensive ecosystem"—a convergence of value, knowledge, and sustainable growth opportunities for the entire industry chain.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports to Colombia continued their strong upward momentum in May 2026. Export value to the market reached USD 4 million, up 24% compared to the same month in 2025. Cumulative exports in the first five months of 2026 totaled USD 24 million, an impressive 48% increase year-on-year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Hai Phong's aquaculture sector is accelerating the adoption of high technologies in aquaculture to adapt to climate change, with red tilapia and tilapia identified as the key cultured species for priority development.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached nearly US$1.1 billion in June 2026, up 21.0% year-on-year. Cumulative exports in the first half of 2026 totaled nearly US$5.8 billion, representing a 12.8% increase compared with the same period last year. Exports to China and Hong Kong continued to accelerate, while shipments to the United States rebounded strongly in June. In contrast, exports to the EU, Japan, and the Middle East remained sluggish or recorded slight declines.
(vasep.com.vn) Tilapia is playing an increasingly important role in Vietnam’s aquaculture sector, driven not only by growing market opportunities but also by its ability to meet increasingly stringent requirements on quality, food safety, and traceability. In practice, tilapia farming in Vietnam is not a spontaneous or loosely regulated activity; rather, it operates under a comprehensive legal and technical framework covering the entire value chain—from hatcheries and farming to processing and exports.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached USD 1.9 billion in the first five months of 2026, up 12% compared with the same period last year. Amid continued volatility in the global seafood market, this result demonstrates that the shrimp sector has maintained positive growth momentum, supported by improving demand in several Asian markets, particularly China.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On June 16, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Ca Mau Province announced that the locality has established a farming area code for nearly 30,400 hectares of mud crab aquaculture and granted export facility codes to five enterprises eligible to export mud crab officially to markets such as China, Cambodia, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The United States remains one of the largest export markets for Vietnamese pangasius. In the first four months of 2026, pangasius exports to the US reached USD 106 million, up 4% compared to the same period in 2025. In April 2026 alone, export value totaled USD 38 million, marking a 20% year-on-year increase and the first positive growth recorded after an extended period of decline.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) While Vietnam’s shrimp exports to many major markets continued to post positive growth in the first months of 2026, exports to the United States declined, highlighting growing competitive pressures and trade barriers facing the Vietnamese shrimp industry.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Egypt is emerging as one of the most promising destinations for Vietnamese tuna exports in 2026. During the first four months of the year, export turnover to this market exceeded USD 7.3 million, marking a sharp increase compared to the same period over the previous two years. As Egypt’s tuna imports continue to recover and demand for canned tuna remains strong, the market is becoming increasingly attractive for Vietnamese tuna processors and exporters.
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