According to the statistics of Vietnam Customs, total fish imports into Vietnam in 2015 reached over US$1 billion, representing an increase of 0.5% compared to 2014. In which shrimp imports reported the highest proportion of 40% with over US$426 million, down 11%; tuna imports hit US$215 million, up 15% and making up 20%, other marine finfish imports reached US$351 million, up 11% and occupying 33% year on year.
Vietnam mainly imported fresh/frozen/live fish serving for processing and exporting. In which fresh/frozen/live marine finfish (HS code 0302 and 0303) hit US$283 million, up 12%; imports of fresh/frozen tuna (HS code 03, except for HS code 0304: tuna fillet) touched US$184 million, posting an increase of 10%.
In 2015, Vietnam imported shrimp from 37 origins with the value of US$426 million, down 10.7% year on year. Whiteleg shrimp and black tiger shrimp under the presentation of live/fresh/frozen (HS code 03) imported into Vietnam made up 65.9% and 20.3%, repectively out of Vietnam's total shrimp imports. Whiteleg shrimp products imported into Vietnam accounted for 68% while black tiger shrimp accounted for 21%. Imports of live/fresh/frozen whiteleg shrimp (HS code 03) reached US$281 million, up 8% while live/fresh/frozen black (HS code 03) gained over US$86 million, down nearly 41%.
India is the largest shrimp supplier to Vietnam with the estimated value of US$318 million; down 7.8% year on year and occupied 74.7% of total shrimp imports by Vietnam.
|
Shrimp products imported into Vietnam in 2015 |
|||
|
Products |
Value (US$) |
The proportion |
Variations (%) |
|
Shrimp (HS 03 & 16) |
425,931,443 |
100.0 |
-10.7 |
|
Processed whiteleg shrimp (HS 16) |
8,244,873 |
1.9 |
+ 5.3 |
|
Live/fresh/frozen whiteleg shrimp (HS03) |
280,696,518 |
65.9 |
+ 8.0 |
|
Shrimp seed |
15,563,460 |
3.7 |
-22.2 |
|
Other processed shrimp (HS 16) |
1,000,512 |
0.2 |
-3.1 |
|
Dried other shrimp (HS 03) |
344,208 |
0.1 |
+ 3,725.2 |
|
Fresh/live/frozen other shrimp (HS 03) |
31,705,478 |
7.4 |
-23.3 |
|
Other processed black tiger shrimp (HS 16) |
1,949,715 |
0.5 |
+ 205.9 |
|
Live/fresh/frozen black tiger shrimp (HS 03) |
86,426,679 |
20.3 |
-40.8 |
According to statistics of the International Trade Centre (ITC), Vietnam became the second largest importer of Indian shrimp, only after the U.S. with the volume of 50 thousand MT in the first 3 quarters of 2015. The peak months were July and August 2015 when Vietnam imported 8.0-8.6 thousand MT of shrimp from India with the average price of US$7.0 – 7.6/kg. In the remaining months of 2015, Vietnam imported about 4.4 – 5.7 thousand MT/month. The average price fell from US$8.3-8.7 USD/kg in the early months of 2015 to US$6.7/kg in the mid year and recovered to US$7.4-7.5/kg in the third quarter of the year.
In 2016, it is forecast that Vietnam will have the opportunity in increasing its shrimp exports to a number of key markets thanks to the FTAs the TPP. Therefore, Vietnam is expected to raise importing shrimp for processing and exporting with the expected value of US$470 million, up 10% from 2015.
|
Top 10 shrimp suppliers to Vietnam in 2015 Source: VASEP (based on statistics of Vietnam Customs) |
||||
|
No. |
Suppliers |
Value (US$) |
The proportion (%) |
Compared to 2014 (%) |
|
1 |
India |
318,011,123 |
74.7 |
-7.8 |
|
2 |
Ecuador |
13,506,458 |
3.2 |
-40.2 |
|
3 |
Thailand |
10,399,159 |
2.4 |
+ 14.3 |
|
4 |
Argentina |
8,835,505 |
2.1 |
-12.1 |
|
5 |
The U.K |
7,263,051 |
1.7 |
+ 7.2 |
|
6 |
Indonesia |
6,327,376 |
1.5 |
-68.9 |
|
7 |
The U.S. |
5,891,269 |
1.4 |
+ 20.3 |
|
8 |
Canada |
4,406,237 |
1.0 |
+ 4.1 |
|
9 |
Australia |
3,829,298 |
0.9 |
+ 114.8 |
|
10 |
Singapore |
3,631,067 |
0.9 |
-7.3 |
|
|
Total |
425,931,443 |
100.0 |
-10.7 |
Written by Le Hang
Compiled 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.
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
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