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.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam has strengthened its position in China’s massive seafood market, becoming the largest lobster supplier while maintaining a dominant share of the country’s imported pangasius.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietfish 2026 was more than just a larger exhibition space. Through B2B meetings, booth discussions, production-chain visits and post-show feedback, businesses and buyers found something more concrete: suitable suppliers, processing capabilities, technology solutions, new markets and a foundation for building long-term trust and partnerships.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the United States declined significantly in the first seven months of 2026. Cumulative export value reached US$18 million, down 42% from the same period in 2025. In July alone, exports amounted to just US$2 million, plunging 70%, indicating a clear slowdown in import demand from the US market.
(vasep.com.vn) At the seminar “Global Seafood Markets and the Future Workforce: Trends, Opportunities and Directions for the Sustainable Development of Vietnam’s Fisheries Sector,” held as part of VIETFISH 2026, Ms. Shirlene Maria Anthonysamy, Fisheries Officer (Markets) and GLOBEFISH Coordinator at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), presented initiatives aimed at promoting youth participation in fisheries and aquaculture.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first seven months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the United States reached US$189 million, down 8% year-on-year. In July alone, export value reached US$22 million, down 28%. This trend indicates that U.S. demand for pangasius imports has remained relatively cautious this year, as importers tend to maintain moderate inventory levels and limit stockpiling.
(vasep.com.vn) After three days at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) in Ho Chi Minh City, the Vietnam International Fisheries Exhibition – VIETFISH 2026 – has successfully concluded, leaving a strong impression in terms of scale, visitor numbers, the quality of business connections, and innovative activities. With more than 14,000 m² of exhibition space, 335 companies, 568 booths, participation from representatives of 17 countries and territories, and nearly 15,000 visitors, VIETFISH 2026 has once again affirmed its role as an important meeting point for Vietnam’s and the global seafood industry.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Held as part of Vietfish 2026 from August 19–21 at SECC in Ho Chi Minh City, a series of five specialized seminars provided the seafood business community with updates on markets, technology, standards, human resources and cooperation opportunities. With the participation of experts, international organizations, government agencies and businesses from Vietnam and abroad, the seminars created an additional platform for professional exchange alongside the exhibition’s product showcases and business networking activities.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On the morning of August 19, 2026, the Vietnam International Seafood Exhibition – VIETFISH 2026 officially opened at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) in Ho Chi Minh City. With 568 booths representing 335 companies, alongside the presence of senior government officials, local authorities, diplomatic missions and international partners, VIETFISH 2026 kicks off three days of business networking, technology exchange and market engagement under the overarching theme “Innovation and Sustainability.”
The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) officially announces that the Vietnam International Seafood Exhibition (Vietfish 2026) will take place from August 19–21, 2026, at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), Ho Chi Minh City.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports recorded strong growth in the first half of 2026, but the performance was increasingly uneven across products, markets and enterprises. VASEP’s newly released premium report provides the detailed data and analysis needed to understand what lies behind the headline figures and prepare for the more challenging months ahead.
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
Giấy phép hoạt động Trang thông tin điện tử tổng hợp số 138/GP-TTĐT, ngày 01/10/2013 của Bộ Thông tin và Truyền thông
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 – (ext.203); email: kimthu@vasep.com.vn
Trụ sở: Số 7 đường Nguyễn Quý Cảnh, Phường An Phú, Quận 2, Tp.Hồ Chí Minh
Tel: (+84) 28.628.10430 - Fax: (+84) 28.628.10437 - Email: vasephcm@vasep.com.vn
VPĐD: số 10, Nguyễn Công Hoan, Ngọc Khánh, Ba Đình, Hà Nội
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 - Fax: (+84 24) 37715084 - Email: vasephn@vasep.com.vn