In the first months of 2020, Korea was also affected hardly by the Covid-19 epidemic, demand for cephalopod imports of South Korea declined due to the closure of restaurant systems. A shutdown of the hotel and a closed school, and a drop in tourists will also reduce Korea's demand for cephalopod imports.
South Korea remained the largest importer of Vietnamese cephalopod, accounting for 42% of Vietnam's total export value of this commodity to the markets. Vietnamese cephalopod exports to South Korea dived by 6.2% in April 2020 and fell by 22.3% in the first four months of 2020 to reach US$ 63.4 million. In the first four months of this year, cephalopod exports to South Korea rose only by 14% in February, exports in the remaining three months shrunk.
The decrease in export price and demand due to the Covid-19 epidemic is one of the factors affecting Vietnam's cephalopod exports to South Korea in the first four months of 2020. The tariff advantage from the Vietnam-Korea Free Trade Agreement (VKFTA) partly helps to boost Vietnamese cephalopod exports to this market.
In the structure of squid and octopus products of Vietnam exports to South Korea, octopus still dominated by 68.8%, squid accounted for 31.2%. In the first quarter of 2020, in the total export of squid and octopus products of Vietnam to South Korea, only export of dried/baked squid (HS 03) jumped by 19.8%, the export value of the remaining products fell in which the export value of processed octopus (HS 16) dropped the most, with a decrease of over 37%.
South Korea mainly imports cephalopod products from Vietnam such as dried squid, skin, frozen cleaning processing squid, frozen sushi squid, frozen whole octopus, chilled octopus … Vietnamese squid products exports to South Korea have higher prices than that of octopus with the average price ranging from 11-14 USD/kg. The price of Vietnamese octopus exports to South Korea has an average price of US$6- US$6.5/kg.
Currently, Vietnam enjoys a 0% export tax to Korea for fresh/live and frozen octopus products (HS030751 and HS030759). Dried octopus/ salt/live/fresh/frozen accounts for the highest proportion of total squid and octopus products exports to South Korea.
Diseases also cause economic growth decline, lower people's income. Therefore, people will only consume affordable products, limiting the consumption of higher-priced items such as squid and octopus products. Suppliers can focus on selling to online channels, prioritizing frozen, canned, deep-processed products with long shelf life, reducing fresh products due to consumers changing their consumption habits in the context of the disease.
(vasep.com.vn) VASEP has officially announced the program for Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026), featuring five in-depth sessions covering industry outlooks, trade barriers, buyer demand, the domestic market, and solutions to improve productivity and reduce costs across the seafood value chain.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached US$3.7 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 11% year on year. Although growth has been supported by China and several markets within the CPTPP, momentum is slowing as exports to the United States and the European Union decline. Tariff pressures, international competition, and raw material challenges are creating significant hurdles for exporters in the final months of the year.
(vasep.com.vn) Markets are changing faster, buyer requirements are becoming more demanding, and trade barriers are growing increasingly complex. In this environment, seafood businesses need more than an understanding of current market conditions. They need a longer-term perspective to answer a critical question: Where will growth opportunities come from in 2027–2029, and what should businesses do now to prepare? This is one of the key reasons why VASEP is organizing Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East reached US$113 million, up 7% year on year from the same period in 2025. Growth has become more pronounced in recent months. In August alone, exports to the region totaled US$20 million, an increase of 24%. This indicates that demand for Vietnamese pangasius in the Middle East is gradually recovering after a slowdown in March, although the pace of recovery varies across markets.
(vasep.com.vn) China’s shrimp imports continued to grow strongly in 2026, while Vietnam’s shrimp exports to the market also recorded notable growth. However, behind these positive figures lie two distinct trends: Chinese consumption is growing more slowly than imports, and lobster accounts for a substantial share of Vietnam’s shrimp exports to China, making its product mix significantly different from those of Ecuador and India. Exporters therefore need to assess each segment carefully to understand the opportunities and risks.
(vasep.com.vn) Changing markets, shifting buyer demand, and increasingly complex trade barriers are raising a key question for Vietnam’s seafood industry: Where will the new growth opportunities lie in 2027–2029?
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) As of the end of August 2026, Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the United States reached $21 million, representing a steep 48% year-over-year decline and accounting for 23% of the country's total tilapia export turnover. Frozen fillets accounted for 78% with the remainder consisting of whole frozen tilapia and frozen cuts.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a volatile first half of the year, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to Brazil registered robust growth in July and August 2026. In August alone, export turnover reached $19 million, surging 73% compared to the same period in 2025. Cumulatively for the first eight months, total export value reached $124 million, reflecting an 8% year-over-year increase.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Besides modifying their boats, many fishermen in Dak Lak province are making efforts to venture out to sea to harvest seafood during the rough sea season.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) At the Responsible Seafood Summit and TCRS Shrimp Summit 2026, organized by the GSA (Global Seafood Alliance) in Bangkok, Thailand, the conversation about the future of the shrimp industry began with one of its most important foundations: seedstock quality.
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