Shrimp exports decreased in the context of technical barriers from importing markets increased, demand for shrimps in the world market decreased due to high inventory. Besides, the supply of raw shrimp was limited, the price of raw shrimp increased, causing factories to lack raw materials for production.
Compared to Feb 2016, the proportion of white shrimp for exports increased (accounting for 63% of total shrimp exports) while the proportion of black tiger shrimp exports decreased (28%), the proportion of marine shrimp increased (9%). Frozen/live/frozen white shrimp (HS 03) reached the highest value of US$129.3 million; Processed white shrimp (HS 16) ranked the second with US$109.1 million USD.
Top 10 main markets included Japan, the EU, the US, China, South Korea, Canada, Australia, ASEAN, Taiwan and Switzerland, accounting for 95.4% of Vietnam shrimp exports.
In February 2017, Vietnam shrimp export value to the US and China decreased by 25% and 8.6%, respectively. In contrast, Japan, the EU, Korea and Canada were prominent markets with good growth. In particular, exports to Japan grew at best 33.6%, South Korea (+ 18.8%); EU (+ 16,2%); Canada (+ 16,6%).
In the first two months of 2017, Japan rose to the top position on shrimp import of Vietnam, accounting for 21.4%. EU ranked second with 19.5%. The US dropped to the third position, accounting for only 18.6% of total shrimp exports of Vietnam.
EU and Japan
In the first two months of 2017, the EU and Japan were two markets showing positive signs of recovery in shrimp imports from Vietnam.
Shrimp exports to Japan began to recover from August 2016 and continued to grow until February this year. If in 2016, shrimp exports to Japan increased only 2.7%, in the first two months of this year, the growth rate reached 33.6% (the highest growth rate in the top shrimp importing markets of Vietnam) with an export value of US$81 million.
Thanks to the competitive export price and agricultural cooperation programs promoting between Vietnam and Japan, exporting shrimp to this market will continue to increase.
In 2016, after slump in the first half of the year, shrimp exports to the EU maintained growth in all months of the second half of the year. Remaining the growth of 2016, exporting shrimp to this market in the first two months of this year increased 16.2% to US$73.7 million.
In the three largest single markets in the block, exports to the UK and the Netherlands grew by 4.3% and 127.1%, respectively, while exports to Germany decreased by 11.5%.
Although not sharply increased, exporting shrimp to the EU in the coming months is forecasted to increase more than 10%.
The US
In 2016, shrimp exports to the US grew well in the first three quarters. Exports have tended to fall in the last quarter of 2016. In the first two months of 2017, shrimp exports to this market reached US$70.4 million; a decrease of 25% compared to the same period of 2016.
After the decline at the beginning of the year, demand for shrimps from the markets will inch up. With the growth momentum of imports from Japan, EU, Korea; Vietnam shrimp exports in March 2017 is expected to slightly increase over the same period in 2016.
By Kim Thu
(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.
(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.
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