The temporary 90-day suspension of the proposed 46% countervailing tariff on Vietnamese goods has provided exporters with a crucial window to ship their products to the U.S. and explore alternative market opportunities.
Currently, the export price of pangasius to the U.S. is approximately USD 3.40/kg. If the 46% tariff is implemented, the price could rise to around USD 5.10/kg—rendering Vietnamese pangasius significantly less competitive against other whitefish products. This scenario could result in substantial losses for exporters, where increasing export volume paradoxically exacerbates financial hardship. As a result, enterprises may be compelled to reassess their market strategies, potentially reducing their exposure to the U.S. and shifting focus to other regions.
In terms of volume, Vietnam’s pangasius exports across all markets experienced a sharp increase in March 2025, rising from over 55,000 tonnes to nearly 79,000 tonnes - an impressive 23% year-on-year growth.
Most major export markets recorded notable month-on-month increases in March 2025: China & Hong Kong: +61%, ASEAN: +11%, United States: +28%, European Union: +73%, Brazil: +44%, Mexico: +15%, United Kingdom: +120%. This surge in export volume was partly due to the absence of disruptions caused by Vietnam’s extended Lunar New Year holiday, which had affected shipment volumes in the first two months of the year. Additionally, rising demand from China toward the end of March was supported by a decline in raw material prices.
Looking ahead to April 2025, raw pangasius demand may soften among major U.S.-bound exporters due to ongoing tariff-related uncertainty. Nevertheless, the China & Hong Kong market is showing signs of improved supply conditions, suggesting that overall demand for raw pangasius may remain resilient.
The average export price for all pangasius products rose by 2% in March, reaching USD 2.28/kg.
Thanks to a strong rebound, China & Hong Kong regained their position as Vietnam’s largest pangasius export destination in March 2025, importing over 21,000 tonnes. This followed a notable drop in February, which marked the lowest monthly import volume in the past year.
However, the average export price to China decreased by 4.2% to USD 2.04/kg after six consecutive months of gains. Vietnam’s pangasius exports to China reached USD 38 million in March 2025, up 6% from the same period last year.
By the end of Q1 2025, China and the United States remained Vietnam’s top two pangasius export markets, with frozen fillets continuing to dominate the product mix. Beyond the temporary tariff suspension and trade policy dynamics, consumer demand in both markets remains a decisive factor in shaping retail market trends. Consumers in both countries are familiar with the taste and quality of Vietnamese whitefish. If offered competitive pricing through tariff reductions or trade agreement benefits (e.g., FTAs), their purchasing decisions are likely to shift favorably - thereby boosting both import volume and export value from Vietnam.
Looking forward, there is cautious optimism that Vietnam and the United States will soon reach a mutually agreeable resolution on tariff issues. Concurrently, Vietnam is expected to accelerate negotiations to upgrade the ASEAN–China Free Trade Agreement to version 3.0 (ACFTA 3.0), opening up broader economic and trade opportunities for the region as a whole - and for Vietnam and China in particular.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On July 9, 2026, the Embassy of Vietnam in Brazil organized the seminar titled “Sharing Information on Vietnam-Brazil Economic, Trade and Investment Relations in the First Half of 2026” to provide updates on bilateral cooperation and strengthen connections among government agencies, industry associations, and business communities of the two countries.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood exports in the first 6 months of the year continued to be a bright spot with a total turnover of 5.7 billion USD, an increase of 11.4% compared to the same period last year. By commodity group, seafood is one of the three groups with a trade balance in the first 6 months of 2026 in a surplus state with 4.13 billion USD, an increase of 17%.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) For many years, Vietnam’s seafood industry has been recognized as one of the country’s key export pillars. Products such as shrimp, pangasius, tuna, squid, octopus, and a wide range of other seafood have reached hundreds of markets worldwide. Yet behind these impressive export figures lies a significant challenge: a substantial share of Vietnam’s seafood export value still comes from minimally processed products, contract manufacturing, and raw material exports—segments characterized by low profit margins and high vulnerability to fluctuations in global prices.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the context of a global economy shifting powerfully toward green and sustainable values, Vietfish 2026 is far more than just a commercial trade fair. It has become a strategic rendezvous and a "comprehensive ecosystem"—a convergence of value, knowledge, and sustainable growth opportunities for the entire industry chain.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports to Colombia continued their strong upward momentum in May 2026. Export value to the market reached USD 4 million, up 24% compared to the same month in 2025. Cumulative exports in the first five months of 2026 totaled USD 24 million, an impressive 48% increase year-on-year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Hai Phong's aquaculture sector is accelerating the adoption of high technologies in aquaculture to adapt to climate change, with red tilapia and tilapia identified as the key cultured species for priority development.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached nearly US$1.1 billion in June 2026, up 21.0% year-on-year. Cumulative exports in the first half of 2026 totaled nearly US$5.8 billion, representing a 12.8% increase compared with the same period last year. Exports to China and Hong Kong continued to accelerate, while shipments to the United States rebounded strongly in June. In contrast, exports to the EU, Japan, and the Middle East remained sluggish or recorded slight declines.
(vasep.com.vn) Tilapia is playing an increasingly important role in Vietnam’s aquaculture sector, driven not only by growing market opportunities but also by its ability to meet increasingly stringent requirements on quality, food safety, and traceability. In practice, tilapia farming in Vietnam is not a spontaneous or loosely regulated activity; rather, it operates under a comprehensive legal and technical framework covering the entire value chain—from hatcheries and farming to processing and exports.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached USD 1.9 billion in the first five months of 2026, up 12% compared with the same period last year. Amid continued volatility in the global seafood market, this result demonstrates that the shrimp sector has maintained positive growth momentum, supported by improving demand in several Asian markets, particularly China.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On June 16, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Ca Mau Province announced that the locality has established a farming area code for nearly 30,400 hectares of mud crab aquaculture and granted export facility codes to five enterprises eligible to export mud crab officially to markets such as China, Cambodia, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
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