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) Vietfish 2026, the Vietnam International Seafood Exhibition, will officially take place from 19–21 August 2026 in Ho Chi Minh City. As Vietnam’s largest annual seafood trade event, organized by the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), Vietfish 2026 will once again bring together leading seafood companies, industry experts, and international partners from across the global seafood value chain.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached USD 1.1 billion in July 2026, up 4.8% compared to the same period in 2025. Cumulative exports in the first seven months of the year totaled nearly USD 6.86 billion, an increase of 11.5% year-on-year. Exceeding the USD 1 billion mark in July further reinforces the prospect that Vietnam’s seafood exports could surpass USD 12 billion in 2026. However, the July figures also send a clear signal that the most favorable growth period may have passed: overall export growth slowed to just 4.8%, pangasius exports fell 6.1%, tuna exports were virtually flat, while exports to the EU, South Korea, and the Middle East all recorded double-digit declines.
(vasep.com.vn) As part of the Vietnam Fisheries International Exhibition (Vietfish 2026), the seminar "Global Seafood Market and the Future Workforce: Trends, Opportunities, and Sustainable Development Pathways for Vietnam's Seafood Industry" will take place from 2:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. on August 19, 2026, at Convention Room B, Level 2, SECC, Ho Chi Minh City. This is the first of five specialized seminars at Vietfish 2026, focusing on key issues that are shaping the long-term development of Vietnam's seafood industry.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnamese seafood exports recorded impressive growth, generating nearly 6 billion USD in revenue during the first six months of the year, up 13% compared with the same period last year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Fishermen in Ha Tinh are gradually overcoming difficulties to maintain the efficiency of seafood exploitation. In the first six months of 2026, the entire province achieved a production of more than 23,000 tons of seafood, worth more than 1,200 billion VND.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) June 2026 brought encouraging signs for Vietnam's tuna exports, with export value rising 20% year-on-year to nearly USD 72 million. However, this increase has yet to offset the prolonged slowdown seen in key markets such as the European Union (EU), where import demand remains weak. The outlook for the second half of the year is expected to become more challenging as freight rates continue to climb.
(vasep.com.vn) As part of the Vietnam Fisheries International Exhibition (Vietfish 2026), the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), in collaboration with the Agency for Domestic Market Management and Development under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, will organize the Domestic Seafood Supply–Demand Matching Program on the morning of August 20, 2026, at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), Ho Chi Minh City. The program aims to foster direct business connections between Vietnamese seafood producers and processors and domestic distributors, retailers, and foodservice channels.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The Cooking Show will be one of the most engaging experiential highlights of Vietfish 2026. Taking place over three days, from August 19–21, 2026, at Hall B1, SECC, Ho Chi Minh City, the event will offer visitors a vibrant culinary space where Vietnamese seafood is showcased through its flavors, stories, and real-life culinary applications.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam's pangasius exports reached USD 205 million in June 2026, up 5% compared with the same month in 2025. Cumulative export value for the first six months of the year totaled USD 1.1 billion, an increase of 12% year-on-year. Growth was primarily driven by strong demand from China and CPTPP markets, while exports to the United States and Brazil continued to decline.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first six months of 2026, Ha Tinh province continued to implement comprehensive solutions to combat IUU fishing; strictly manage the fishing fleet, control fishing vessels entering and leaving ports, operate vessel tracking devices, trace the origin of seafood, and severely punish violations.
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