In March, Vietnam exported seafood to 130 markets, in which, the US market was still the pioneer in both turnover and export growth with 136 million USD, up by 36% compared to March 2020, accounting for nearly 20% of total seafood exports of Vietnam, followed by Japan with 125 million USD, accounting for 17.6%. Ranked third is the Chinese market with 103 million USD, up by 15% and accounting for 14%. Exports to South Korea also increased by 15% to 65 million USD, being the fourth market, accounting for 9%.
Demand for seafood in the retail and service segments both tends to increase in major markets such as the US and EU and China's removal of the congestion at import ports since March has had a positive impact to Vietnam's seafood export activities to these markets.
However, seafood export data in March as well as the first 3 months of 2021 shows that there are single markets, which are not in the top 5 seafood import markets of Vietnam, have impressive growths and are gradually asserting their indispensable position in Vietnam's seafood exports. Those are Thailand, UK, Russia, Australia, Canada, which account for 3-4% each of Vietnam's seafood exports.
Seafood exports from Vietnam to Thailand in March increased by 44%, to the UK increased by 20%, to Russia increased by 68%. Exports to 2 CPTPP countries, Australia and Canada, increased by 28% and 9%, respectively.
In the export turnover to Thailand, 30% of the value comes from processing activities of joint venture companies, processing marine fish products such as surimi, fish cakes and canned tuna ... the rest are products of Vietnam enterprises. Vietnam mainly exports to this market pangasius, frozen squid, dried squid ...
Increasing retail sales of seafood in the UK from the beginning of the year, especially with warm water shrimp, tuna and some marine fish are favorable factors for Vietnamese seafood enterprises. Russian import demand also tends to increase, the room for Vietnamese enterprises is being expanded. Recently, Russia announced more 9 seafood processing companies and factories to the list of exporters allowed to export seafood to this market, bringing the list to 44 units allowed to export to Russia.
By the end of the first quarter of 2021, Vietnam's seafood exports reached US $ 1.73 billion, an increase of nearly 7% over the same period last year. In particular, shrimp exports increased by 5% to 661 million USD, pangasius exports increased by 3% to 344 million USD, tuna reached 151 million USD, also up 3%, other marine fish increased by sharply 14% to 402 million USD, cephalopod sales increased by 8% to 116 million USD.
Entering 2026, Vietnam’s seafood industry is facing a period of both high expectations and mounting pressures. Following the positive recovery in 2025, production and export activities in Q1/2026 demonstrated the strong adaptability of Vietnam’s seafood business community amid continued global trade volatility, intensifying international competition, and increasingly stringent compliance requirements in import markets.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first quarter of 2026, Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached USD 1.069 billion, up 17.5% compared to the same period in 2025. This is a positive result amid an uneven global shrimp market recovery, intensifying competition among major suppliers, and continued volatility in the international trade environment. However, this growth does not reflect a broad-based recovery across the entire sector, but rather is driven mainly by strong performance in a few markets and specific product segments—most notably lobster exports to China.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tuna exports continued to decline in March 2026. Cumulatively, in the first three months of the year, export value reached USD 208 million, down 4% compared to the same period in 2025. The export landscape shows clear divergence across markets: while the U.S. and EU remain challenging, markets such as Russia, the Middle East, Egypt, the Philippines, and Mexico have emerged as growth bright spots.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In Quang Ngai Province, shrimp farming costs are rising sharply due to लगातार increases in feed, fuel, and input material prices, while farm-gate shrimp prices are declining. This has significantly reduced farmers’ profit margins and increased production risks.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports are experiencing impressive growth, reflecting expanding global demand as well as the sector’s development potential. However, behind the strong growth figures lie limitations in production capacity and supply chains, highlighting the need for sustainable development in the coming period.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East in 2025 and early 2026 have shown notable growth. However, escalating geopolitical tensions in the region have increasingly impacted export activities since March. This situation presents a challenge of balancing market expansion opportunities with rising trade risks.
(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.
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