Foreign shipping firms, including Yang Ming, CMA CGM, OOCL and Wan Hai Vietnam, have announced increases in freight fees and surcharges starting April 1.
Nguyen Hoai Nam, deputy secretary general of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), said the unreasonable charges and surcharges set by foreign firms are a financial burden for seafood export firms.
Foreign shipping firms raised the fees sharply in June 2014, when one 20-feet seafood dry container to the US was charged $2,300. In March this year, the fee rose by 70 percent to $3,900 per container.
Nguyen Van Kich, chair of Cafatex, said the company has to pay 15-20 percent of its revenue on transport costs, which means the 70 percent freight increase would triple transport costs.
“Seafood companies are dying,” Kich said. “Their business has shrunk because of high bank loan interest rates, input material price increases, and now freight increases.”
The US is the largest export market for Vietnamese seafood exporters, which imports $1.5 billion a year, or 22 percent of total seafood export turnover. Europe is also a large market which consumes 50 percent of total seafood export turnover.
The higher costs for carrying goods to the two markets will upset exporters’ plans.
Kich emphasized that the charges and surcharges imposed by foreign shipping firms are unreasonable. CIC (container imbalance charge), for example, should be collected only when container imbalance occurs. Meanwhile, Vietnamese enterprises still have to pay $50 per 20-feet container and $100 per 40-feet container in SCIC to foreign shipping firms.
In many cases, Kich said, enterprises have to pay fees higher than quoted.
THC (terminal handling charges), for example, quoted by port developers is $20-35 per 20-feet and 40-feet container, respectively.
However, shipping firms, which collect money from goods owners to pay to port developers, require $60-120 per container.
The director of an enterprise said he cannot understand why shipping firms continue collecting unreasonable fees in front of state management agencies.
Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Van Cong has confirmed that many foreign shipping firms have raised fees and charges unreasonably, thus causing unhealthy competition.
Deputy Chief Inspector of the Ministry of Finance Tran Huy Truong has said that finance officials will take inspection tours to 20 largest foreign shipping firms to clarify businesses’ complaints about unreasonable transport charges.
On March 18, Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai requested relevant ministries to review the fee collection by foreign shipping firms and settle the problems in accordance with the Competition Law.
(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.
(vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Chile imported more than USD 156 million worth of tuna, up 8.1% compared to the previous year and the highest level in the past five years. As the supply structure in this market is rapidly shifting, Vietnamese tuna is facing both opportunities to expand market share and increasing competitive pressure from Thailand, Colombia, and China.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vinh Long Province is stepping up efforts to develop brackish water shrimp farming in a sustainable direction, identifying it as a key sector in its agricultural structure. In 2026, the province aims to reach around 71,300 hectares of shrimp farming, with an output of over 314,000 tons.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Ha Tinh Province is strengthening control over shrimp seed quality to minimize risks for the 2026 spring–summer farming season.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In February 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports reached USD 119 million, down slightly 5% year-on-year. However, thanks to strong performance in January, cumulative exports in the first two months of the year still reached USD 331 million, up 28% compared to the same period in 2025. Export activity slowed somewhat in February due to seasonal factors, particularly the Lunar New Year holiday, which disrupted production and shipments at many seafood processing enterprises.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Da Nang is accelerating the development of high-tech shrimp farming toward intensive production, disease control, and improved efficiency. Many shrimp farms have invested in automated environmental monitoring systems, continuously tracking indicators such as pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and salinity, enabling farmers to promptly adjust pond conditions and reduce disease risks.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The year 2025 is considered a turning point for Vietnam’s shrimp seed industry as the sector faces the need for strong transformation in technology, production management, and gradual self-sufficiency in broodstock supply. These factors are seen as key to improving seed quality and strengthening the competitiveness of the shrimp industry amid increasingly demanding market requirements.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In February 2026, Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached nearly USD 310 million, up 17% year-on-year. Cumulatively for the first two months of the year, shrimp export value totaled USD 690 million, an increase of 20% compared with the same period last year. Compared with the 22% growth recorded in January, the pace of increase in February slowed somewhat, reflecting seasonal factors as the Lunar New Year holiday partially disrupted processing and shipment activities. Nevertheless, the nearly 20% growth in the first two months indicates that shrimp orders from Vietnam are maintaining a more positive trend than in the same period last year.
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
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