Ca Mau is Vietnam’s largest brackish-water aquaculture area, with over 417,000 hectares of farming zones and an annual output of more than 907,000 tons. Alongside shrimp—the province’s key product—sea crab is emerging strongly, with more than 365,000 hectares of farming area and an estimated annual output of 36,500 tons. However, official export figures for crab remain almost nonexistent, as most exports—valued at an estimated 700 million USD per year—are routed unofficially through border trade and thus are not reflected in the province’s export statistics.
At the conference, businesses pointed out that although the crab value chain is expanding, several challenges persist: seasonal fluctuations in output, weak and unstable market linkages, the absence of a unified traceability system, high logistics and preservation costs, and a lack of international certifications to access high-standard markets. Some countries, such as South Korea, have strong demand but impose stringent technical barriers that hinder market entry.
To enhance value and create stable demand, many enterprises are forming long-term purchasing partnerships with cooperatives, applying traceability technologies, investing in cold storage facilities, and standardizing packaging and transportation to ensure 100% live-crab deliveries. Several large supply chains have been established, providing farmers with greater production stability.
Between 2016 and 2025, Ca Mau’s crab farming area and output grew significantly, with 20,000 hectares achieving international certifications such as Naturland, ASC, and EU Organic. Many ecological crab products have entered major domestic retail chains.
The Ca Mau Department of Industry and Trade outlined five key solutions: diversifying markets and export methods; developing logistics infrastructure for live seafood; promoting digital trade and cross-border e-commerce; supporting enterprises in improving competitiveness and brand development; and strengthening international cooperation and trade promotion.
Vice Chairman Lê Văn Sử emphasized the need to establish a seafood export testing and verification center in Ca Mau. This would reduce costs, shorten inspection times, and ensure compliance with standards required by demanding markets—an essential step for Ca Mau crab, alongside Ca Mau shrimp, to expand official exports to Japan, South Korea, and Europe.
With strong potential, proven quality, and growing market recognition, Ca Mau crab can become a new strategic export product if a transparent, sustainable, and well-linked value chain is built, supported by enterprises, authorities, and local farmers. This will contribute significantly to the province’s socio-economic development in the years ahead.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The year 2025 is considered a turning point for Vietnam’s shrimp seed industry as the sector faces the need for strong transformation in technology, production management, and gradual self-sufficiency in broodstock supply. These factors are seen as key to improving seed quality and strengthening the competitiveness of the shrimp industry amid increasingly demanding market requirements.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In February 2026, Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached nearly USD 310 million, up 17% year-on-year. Cumulatively for the first two months of the year, shrimp export value totaled USD 690 million, an increase of 20% compared with the same period last year. Compared with the 22% growth recorded in January, the pace of increase in February slowed somewhat, reflecting seasonal factors as the Lunar New Year holiday partially disrupted processing and shipment activities. Nevertheless, the nearly 20% growth in the first two months indicates that shrimp orders from Vietnam are maintaining a more positive trend than in the same period last year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to the latest statistics for January 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius export value to major market blocs recorded encouraging growth compared with the same period last year, indicating that consumption demand is gradually recovering.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports in February 2026 reached approximately USD 707 million, up 8% compared to the same period last year. Cumulatively, exports in the first two months of 2026 totaled USD 1.7 billion, an increase of 20.2% year-on-year. The results show that the sector’s recovery momentum has remained relatively solid following strong growth in January, although the pace slowed noticeably in February for several key products and major markets. Within the overall picture, shrimp continues to be the largest pillar, pangasius rebounds strongly, while tuna exports and the U.S. and Korean markets are sending signals that warrant closer monitoring. In March, seafood exports are expected to gain additional momentum from markets other than the U.S., potentially supporting stronger growth.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first months of 2026, fishing activities in Quang Tri province recorded many positive signals, with output reaching over 15,941 tons. This result not only demonstrates fishermen’s efforts to stay offshore but also reflects the effectiveness of management and support measures implemented by local authorities.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first months of 2026, IUU prevention models focused on communication and mobilizing fishermen to comply with fisheries laws and avoid encroaching on foreign waters—related to combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing—have been implemented in coastal localities of Lam Dong province and have delivered initial positive results.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The sharp rise in raw pangasius prices to record levels is sending positive signals for the industry, but experts warn of potential supply–demand imbalances if production is not tightly controlled.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to statistics from Vietnam Customs, the country’s total canned tuna export value in 2025 reached over USD 275 million, down 8% compared to 2024. Vietnamese canned tuna products were present in approximately 80 markets worldwide. However, the 2025 picture shows clear divergence: the U.S. maintained stability, the EU declined sharply, while several Middle East–North Africa (MENA) markets accelerated.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s crab exports reached nearly USD 86 million, up almost 6% compared to 2024. A notable feature of 2025 was the strong market concentration in the United States, which accounted for more than 81% of Vietnam’s total crab export value, up 10% from the previous year. In contrast, exports to several Asian markets declined significantly, resulting in only modest overall growth for the year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s tilapia exports recorded impressive growth, with total export turnover reaching over USD 99 million, highlighting the increasingly important role of this product in the country’s seafood export structure. Of this total, tilapia fillets and other fish meat products accounted for USD 61 million, representing 61% of total export value and reaffirming their position as the key product category.
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