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) The Quang Tri Department of Agriculture and Environment has instructed localities to base their stocking schedules on actual conditions in each farming area, while developing plans, allocating resources, and implementing synchronized measures for disease prevention and disaster risk management in aquaculture production.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first two months of 2026, Vietnam’s exports of fish cakes and surimi exceeded USD 45 million, up 7% compared to the same period in 2025, indicating a positive outlook for this product segment amid recovering demand in many markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) During the week from April 4th to 10th, 2026, Quang Ngai province intensified its monitoring and law enforcement activities with the determination to eliminate illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing practices.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Thanh Hoa’s shrimp sector is undergoing a strong transformation by accelerating the adoption of high technology, helping to improve productivity, increase profits, and meet market demands. The province currently has about 4,100 hectares of shrimp farming, with output continuing to rise despite stable farming area, mainly due to the shift from traditional methods to intensive and super-intensive farming.
(vasep.com.vn) Amid ongoing volatility in global seafood trade, Vietnam’s crab exports have made a fairly positive start to 2026. According to Vietnam Customs statistics, export turnover in the first two months of 2026 reached nearly USD 55 million, up 24% compared to the same period in 2025 and more than 2.2 times higher than in the same period of 2024. This indicates that crab exports are entering 2026 with stronger growth momentum, particularly in Asian markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Da Nang City has fully implemented all recommendations from the European Commission (EC) regarding the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, creating an important foundation for the removal of the “yellow card” in the near future.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In Hoa Vang district (Da Nang City), red tilapia farming is demonstrating clear economic efficiency, becoming a promising livelihood that helps many households increase their income. A notable example is the model of Mr. Huynh Ngoc Nam, who operates two red tilapia ponds covering more than 4 hectares, generating stable annual income.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In Gia Vien district, tilapia farming—particularly the “duong nghiep” strain—is expanding rapidly and gradually becoming an efficient production model for local farmers. Hatcheries in the area are supplying high-quality, uniform, and disease-free fingerlings, meeting the growing demand for commercial farming.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On the afternoon of March 19, Vice Chairman of the Ca Mau Provincial People’s Committee, Le Van Su, chaired a meeting to address bottlenecks and propose solutions to expand the super-intensive whiteleg shrimp farming model using low water exchange and high biosecurity standards (RAS-IMTA).
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On March 10, 2026, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee issued Decision No. 1377/QD-UBND approving the Aquatic Animal Disease Prevention and Control Plan for the 2026–2030 period. The decision takes effect from the date of signing and replaces previous plans for the 2021–2030 period that had been issued prior to the administrative merger in Ba Ria – Vung Tau, Binh Duong, and Ho Chi Minh City.
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