In the second quarter this year, 92.3 per cent of seafood firms need working capital of between VND10 billion (US$476,190) and VND500 billion ($23.81 million), said Nguyen Minh Tam, a VASEP representative.
Ninety per cent of companies expected credit line to increase to VND10 billion ($476,190) in minium and VND1.4 trillion ($66.67 million) in maxium, Tam said, while 53.85 per cent need between VND2 billion ($95,238) and VND300 billion ($14.29 million) for developing investment activities such as upgrading equipment and factories in regions rearing fish and shrimp.
Difficulties in accessing capital have kept enterprises from purchasing fish and shrimp for export while farmers refrain from selling on credit, she said. Farmers have avoided losses despite firms being unable to pay their debts, such as in the case of Binh An Seafood Company.
As a result, enterprises have been forced to import seafood for processing export products, she added. Additionally, firms have faced high freight and quarantine fees and increasing production costs amidst a lack of capital.
VASEP said Viet Nam's ocean freight costs had increased by US$240-800 per foreign port since early this month. The hikes would continue in the next two months as shipping companies announced that from April 1, they would begin charging containers shipped to European ports with a general rate increase (GRI) of $400 per 20-foot container. On May 1, the same GRI will be applied on goods shipped to the US.
Therefore, ocean freight costs will skyrocket by $640-1,200 per 20-foot container in the three months from March to May, VASEP said.
Shipping costs in Viet Nam are currently 10-15 per cent higher than those in other regional countries including Thailand and the Philippines.
Last month, the association proposed the Ministry of Industry and Trade and relevant bodies reduce freight costs to ease the burden on seafood exporters.
Earlier, the association also asked the ministries of Finance and Agriculture and Rural Development to reconsider the quarantine fee levels applied on imported seafood batches in order to help companies reduce costs and increase competitiveness.
Many seafood companies are saying that the quarantine fees stipulated in a new Ministry of Finance's circular, effectives starting this month, have increased too much from the levels regulated in the ministry's previous circular, issued in late 2010.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development estimated the total export value of seafood for the first quarter this year to have experienced a year-on-year increase of 9.1 per cent to $1.2 billion.
During the first two months, seafood exports declined by 7 per cent to the European Union while it increased 11.5 per cent to the US and 25.3 per cent to Japan. One year ago, Viet Nam saw an increase of 30 per cent in seafood exports for each of the three markets.
Therefore, the VASEP expected the country would struggle gaining its target of $6.5 billion in seafood export value due to existing difficulties.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The year 2025 marked a pivotal milestone for Vietnam’s seafood industry in its restructuring process toward sustainability, transparency, and higher value creation, amid continued uncertainties in the global economic and trade environment. Prolonged inflation in major economies, the rising trend of trade protectionism, and increasingly stringent requirements related to environmental standards, traceability, and social responsibility have posed significant challenges to seafood production and exports. Nevertheless, overcoming these pressures, Vietnam’s seafood sector has gradually demonstrated its adaptability, maintained growth momentum, and laid an important foundation for the next stage of development.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Amid the increasingly evident impacts of drought and saltwater intrusion, the shrimp-rice production model in Ca Mau province continues to prove itself as a viable direction, contributing to higher farmer incomes, improved soil conditions and the promotion of ecological and sustainable agricultural development.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The management of fishing vessels, monitoring of fishing activities, and handling of violations in the fisheries sector in Lam Dong province have continued to be implemented in a synchronized and stringent manner, contributing to raising awareness of legal compliance among fishermen and aiming to end illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Can Tho’s fishery industry sustained steady growth in 2025 with total aquatic and marine output reaching nearly 783,000 tons, fulfilling 100% of the annual target. Aquaculture, capture fisheries and fishing fleet management were further strengthened, aiming for sustainable development in the coming years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s pangasius export turnover reached nearly USD 2.2 billion, up 8% year-on-year. This result indicates that pangasius exports maintained their growth momentum despite significant volatility in the global market environment. In December 2025, pangasius export value reached USD 200 million, up 10% compared to December 2024. This solid performance in the final month of the year reflects increased import demand for consumption and inventory replenishment in key markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Spain experienced significant fluctuations. According to Vietnam Customs, during the first 11 months of 2025, export turnover for the first 11 months of the year edged up by 0.3% year-on-year, reaching nearly $15 million.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son has signed Decision No. 16/QD-TTg, dated January 5, 2026, approving the implementation plan for the Vietnam-Israel Free Trade Agreement (VIFTA). Under the plan, in the coming period, ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-affiliated entities and People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities must institutionalize and execute tasks focused on the dissemination of information regarding VIFTA and the Israeli market; legislative and institutional development, as well as enhancing competitiveness and human resource growth...
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Beyond achieving double-digit growth, Vietnam’s fish cake and surimi exports are showing a notable year-end "inflection point": the EU his accelerating with nearly twofold growth, China & Hong Kong are rising sharply, while the largest market, South Korea, signaled a slowdown in November. According to Vietnam Customs data, export turnover of fish cake and surimi reached $327 million in the first 11 months of 2025, up 22% year-on-year; November 2025 alone accounted for $35 million, marking a 5% increase. This serves as a critical foundation for exporters to reassess market structures and competitive intensity while finalizing order strategies for 2026.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Ca Mau, widely regarded as the nation’s “shrimp capital”, continued its strong performance in 2025 as shrimp output reached nearly 600,000 tons, maintaining its position as Vietnam’s leading shrimp-producing locality.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On December 29, 2025, at the 2025 Pangasius Industry Review Conference held in Can Tho City, the Vietnam Pangasius Association announced that fingerling prices have surged to record levels due to acute supply shortages.
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
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