China & Hong Kong remained the strongest growth driver for Vietnam’s shrimp exports during the period. Export value to this market exceeded USD 711 million, up 46% year-on-year and accounting for nearly 38% of the country’s total shrimp export turnover. Stable demand for frozen shrimp products, together with robust growth in lobster exports, helped boost shipments to this market.
Meanwhile, the United States—which had long been Vietnam’s leading shrimp market—continued to be a bottleneck for the industry. Shrimp exports to the U.S. totaled USD 228 million in the first five months of the year, down 22% compared with the same period last year. In addition to intense price competition from Ecuador and India, exporters are closely monitoring developments related to the Section 301 investigation and anti-dumping duties. These factors have made U.S. buyers increasingly cautious in their purchasing decisions.
Other traditional markets showed relatively stable performance. Exports to Japan and South Korea remained largely unchanged from a year earlier, while the EU maintained modest growth. Markets such as Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Taiwan continued to post encouraging growth, helping diversify export destinations for Vietnamese shrimp products.
By product category, whiteleg shrimp remained dominant, accounting for more than 57.1% of total shrimp export value, while black tiger shrimp represented 9.5%. The category of other marine shrimp recorded the highest growth rate, rising 29% year-on-year, reflecting both supply diversification and growing market demand for alternatives to traditional whiteleg shrimp.
Despite positive market signals, the shrimp industry continues to face production-related challenges. In recent weeks, farm-gate shrimp prices in many Mekong Delta provinces have declined amid increasing supply. This price drop has occurred while production costs continue to rise, including feed, seedstock, packaging, logistics, and sharply higher ocean freight rates.
Nevertheless, the outlook is not without bright spots. Demand across many Asian markets remains positive, while several international macroeconomic factors have become more favorable compared with the beginning of the year. Easing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, following positive developments in U.S.–Iran relations, have helped reduce concerns over disruptions to global supply chains and international shipping. If this trend continues, logistics cost pressures could ease in the coming months.
As a result, the outlook for Vietnam’s shrimp exports in the second half of 2026 remains cautiously optimistic. Growth momentum from China and other Asian markets is expected to continue, while Vietnamese companies are accelerating the development of value-added processed products, improving production efficiency, and expanding into new markets to reduce dependence on a limited number of destinations.
After the first five months of the year, Vietnam’s shrimp industry has demonstrated its resilience and adaptability amid global market fluctuations. Although challenges related to costs and competition remain, the sector’s double-digit growth provides a solid foundation for achieving further expansion during the remainder of 2026.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Sa Giang Import-Export Joint Stock Company, a member of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), has been honored with the "Famous Brand - Competitive Vietnamese Brand 2026" certification at an award ceremony organized by the Vietnam Intellectual Property Association (VIPA).
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) China imported nearly $1.4 billion worth of Vietnamese seafood in the first half of the year, a 40% increase compared to the same period last year, surpassing the US to become the largest export market for the industry.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) As part of Vietfish 2026, the International Seafood Hosted Buyer Program has been designed as a dedicated B2B matchmaking initiative for selected international buyers. The program provides opportunities to meet directly with Vietnamese seafood companies, gain market insights, and experience Vietnam's seafood supply chain firsthand.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) A Story from Cà Mau’s Coast It’s 5 AM in Cà Mau. Minh, a third-generation fisherman, is ready to set sail. But unlike his father and grandfather, his boat no longer runs on an old diesel engine that burns fuel and clouds the sky with smoke. Instead, it’s powered by a hybrid engine that saves 40% fuel—funded by an ESG program from a major seafood exporter.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam's pangasius industry is shifting its focus from increasing production volume to enhancing value-added products in order to meet the increasingly stringent requirements of export markets. In An Giang Province—the country's leading hub for pangasius farming and processing—businesses and farmers are prioritizing product quality, traceability, food safety, and sustainable development rather than expanding output.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Following strong growth in 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Sweden continued to edge higher during the first five months of 2026. However, the picture is far from straightforward. Orders have fluctuated significantly from month to month, indicating that this market remains cautious, with purchasing decisions closely tied to actual demand and the import cycles of Nordic distributors rather than to a steady upward trend.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) China’s shrimp imports in the first five months of 2026 continued to surpass the same period in 2025, indicating that demand in the world’s largest seafood-consuming market remains strong. However, behind the growth figures lies an increasingly competitive landscape: Ecuador dominates the competitively priced whiteleg shrimp segment, India remains the second-largest supplier, while Vietnam stands out in the lobster segment but still needs to strengthen its advantages through quality, traceability, and reliable supply.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Lobster exports to China continued to surge in the first half of this year, putting the lobster industry on the verge of reaching an export value exceeding $1 billion.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) More than five years after the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA) took effect, Vietnamese seafood is steadily expanding its market share in the United Kingdom, one of Europe’s major seafood import markets with stable and diverse consumer demand.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) At Van Hung Commune, Khanh Hoa Province, the Khanh Hoa Agricultural Extension Center, in collaboration with the Northern Aquaculture Research Center and the Van Hung Public Service Center, organized a technical training course on the industrial-scale production of disease-free golden pompano (Trachinotus falcatus) seed for local marine fish farmers.
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
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