This plan is based on a projection that total export turnover for the second half of the year will reach USD 31.6 billion, down 4.8% year-on-year, with an estimated loss of USD 1.6 billion if current retaliatory tariffs remain in place. In the first half of the year, export value was estimated at USD 33.5 billion and imports at USD 23.5 billion, representing year-on-year increases of 14.3% and 23.5%, respectively.
The ministry has outlined a roadmap: total exports should exceed USD 17 billion in Q2, reach USD 14–15 billion or more in Q3, and surpass USD 16 billion in Q4.
A farmer in Nga Nam town (Soc Trang) harvesting winter-spring rice. Taken on March 10, 2020. Credit: Nguyet Nhi.
To meet the 2025 target, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment calls for the maximum use of the current tax deferral period, balancing the trade deficit with the US market, seizing short-term export opportunities in Q2 and early Q3, and maximizing export value in the second half of the year.
Forestry products, especially wood and wood-based goods, face the greatest pressure from US tariffs due to their large market share (67% of total export turnover). The 2025 export goal is USD 18.5 billion, a 7% increase over 2024 (with USD 8.4 billion in the first half and USD 10.1 billion in the second half).
The ministry recommends that businesses continue to identify and maintain product lines suitable for export to the US. To help reduce the trade imbalance, companies are also encouraged to increase imports of logs, sawn timber, and wood materials from the US.
At the same time, businesses should expand exports to Europe, Japan, Australia, Canada, and the Middle East—markets with strong resort development potential—to offset the decline in major markets. Participation in international trade fairs should also be enhanced to promote products directly to these markets.
For fisheries, which face the second-greatest pressure from US tariffs, the 2025 export goal is USD 10.5 billion, up 4.3% from 2024, with USD 5.4 billion expected in the second half of the year.
The ministry notes that retaliatory tariffs have had a significant impact on the fisheries sector, especially compared to competitors like India, Thailand, Indonesia, and Ecuador. In addition, consumer demand—particularly for shrimp and salmon—has shown a downward trend in early 2025.
Therefore, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment proposes boosting pangasius exports, maintaining market share, and expanding sales of fresh seafood to China.
In addition to forestry and fisheries, to achieve the USD 65 billion target, the ministry has also outlined measures to promote exports of key agricultural products such as coffee, pepper, cashew nuts, tea, and rubber.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia industry is maintaining strong growth momentum, with significant room for further expansion in the coming years. In 2025, total tilapia production reached approximately 420,000 tonnes, up 33% from 2024 and 2.2 times higher than in 2015. During 2015–2025, production grew at an average annual rate of around 8.4%. As production and exports continue to expand, food safety control is receiving increasing attention to ensure product quality, meet the increasingly stringent requirements of international markets, and provide a foundation for the sustainable development of Vietnam’s tilapia industry.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On the afternoon of August 19, 2026, as part of the Vietnam International Seafood Exhibition – Vietfish 2026, the Hosted Buyer Program continued with the seminar “Vietnam Seafood Outlook 2026–2027: A Strategic Sourcing Destination,” followed by 1-to-1 B2B meetings between international buyers and Vietnamese seafood businesses.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Speaking at the Opening Ceremony of VIETFISH 2026 on August 19 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), U.S. Consul General Melissa Brown highlighted the important role of the exhibition in connecting Vietnam’s growing seafood industry with buyers, suppliers, and partners from the United States and around the world.
(vasep.com.vn) Tomorrow, August 19, 2026, the Vietnam International Seafood Exhibition – Vietfish 2026 will officially open at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) in Ho Chi Minh City. Taking place over three days, from August 19–21, Vietfish 2026 promises to provide a dynamic platform for business networking, trend updates, product experiences and comprehensive cooperation across the domestic and international seafood community.
(vasep.com.vn) The global tilapia market continues to grow, creating significant opportunities for countries with strengths in aquaculture, processing, and exports. Against this backdrop, Vietnam’s tilapia industry is gradually developing toward higher quality, greater product diversification, and broader market reach. At Vietfish 2026, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), together with the VASEP Tilapia Producers and Exporters Club, will host a joint booth to promote the image and potential of Vietnamese tilapia to domestic and international buyers.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports are heading towards $12 billion this year, potentially the highest level on record. Yet one of the country’s export strengths is facing a growing list of challenges.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The first six months of 2026 indicate that Vietnam’s tilapia industry is entering a new phase of development, with strong export growth but also greater demands for production scale, quality and international competitiveness.
(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.
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