Surimi supplier TransOcean saw its sales jump by 10.2 percent last year -- nearly double the 5.6 percent growth IRI data recorded for the $94 million US surimi indsutry, TransOcean Vice Presdient of Sales and Marketing Lou Shaheen told IntraFish.
That upward revenue trend may continue, but not for the reasons that producers like TransOcean would hope. Wholesale prices for surimi blocks are up 20 percent to 25 percent this year over last, Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers Program Director Pat Shanahan told IntraFish. European processors told a similar story to IntraFish in February.
“It will increase our costs by about half that,” Shaheen said. Surimi blocks make up about half of the end product, he explained. “So it’s a significant increase to any company, but we’ve seen larger increases than that in the past few years.” Shaheen said TransOcean, a subsidiary of global giant Maruha Nichiro, will try not to pass on costs to consumers.
“We will look at other avenues to reduce our costs so that we don’t have to pass them along,” he said. Contracts with retailers may make it difficult to pass on costs, he added.
Yet markets outside the United States could be willing to absorb higher prices, considering the high global demand for the surimi.
“The increased demand is due to a number of factors, including the tsunami last year in Japan, which destroyed some surimi inventory, and the lack of lower cost tropical surimi on the global market,” Shanahan said.
Southeast Asian fishermen who catch species used in surimi may not be fishing due to the high cost of fuel, she said.
“There is also growing demand for surimi seafood products in Europe and in developing markets such as India and China. In addition, large surimi producers and exporters, -- Thailand is a good example – are starting to consume an increasing share of their own production in the domestic market.”
However, whether Alaska surimi producers decide to tap into the higher demand for surimi is yet to be seen, considering pollock is also in high demand in fillet form, Shanahan said. Last year, pollock producers responded to a higher global demand by producing more surimi.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The year 2025 marked a pivotal milestone for Vietnam’s seafood industry in its restructuring process toward sustainability, transparency, and higher value creation, amid continued uncertainties in the global economic and trade environment. Prolonged inflation in major economies, the rising trend of trade protectionism, and increasingly stringent requirements related to environmental standards, traceability, and social responsibility have posed significant challenges to seafood production and exports. Nevertheless, overcoming these pressures, Vietnam’s seafood sector has gradually demonstrated its adaptability, maintained growth momentum, and laid an important foundation for the next stage of development.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Amid the increasingly evident impacts of drought and saltwater intrusion, the shrimp-rice production model in Ca Mau province continues to prove itself as a viable direction, contributing to higher farmer incomes, improved soil conditions and the promotion of ecological and sustainable agricultural development.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The management of fishing vessels, monitoring of fishing activities, and handling of violations in the fisheries sector in Lam Dong province have continued to be implemented in a synchronized and stringent manner, contributing to raising awareness of legal compliance among fishermen and aiming to end illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Can Tho’s fishery industry sustained steady growth in 2025 with total aquatic and marine output reaching nearly 783,000 tons, fulfilling 100% of the annual target. Aquaculture, capture fisheries and fishing fleet management were further strengthened, aiming for sustainable development in the coming years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s pangasius export turnover reached nearly USD 2.2 billion, up 8% year-on-year. This result indicates that pangasius exports maintained their growth momentum despite significant volatility in the global market environment. In December 2025, pangasius export value reached USD 200 million, up 10% compared to December 2024. This solid performance in the final month of the year reflects increased import demand for consumption and inventory replenishment in key markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Spain experienced significant fluctuations. According to Vietnam Customs, during the first 11 months of 2025, export turnover for the first 11 months of the year edged up by 0.3% year-on-year, reaching nearly $15 million.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son has signed Decision No. 16/QD-TTg, dated January 5, 2026, approving the implementation plan for the Vietnam-Israel Free Trade Agreement (VIFTA). Under the plan, in the coming period, ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-affiliated entities and People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities must institutionalize and execute tasks focused on the dissemination of information regarding VIFTA and the Israeli market; legislative and institutional development, as well as enhancing competitiveness and human resource growth...
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Beyond achieving double-digit growth, Vietnam’s fish cake and surimi exports are showing a notable year-end "inflection point": the EU his accelerating with nearly twofold growth, China & Hong Kong are rising sharply, while the largest market, South Korea, signaled a slowdown in November. According to Vietnam Customs data, export turnover of fish cake and surimi reached $327 million in the first 11 months of 2025, up 22% year-on-year; November 2025 alone accounted for $35 million, marking a 5% increase. This serves as a critical foundation for exporters to reassess market structures and competitive intensity while finalizing order strategies for 2026.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Ca Mau, widely regarded as the nation’s “shrimp capital”, continued its strong performance in 2025 as shrimp output reached nearly 600,000 tons, maintaining its position as Vietnam’s leading shrimp-producing locality.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On December 29, 2025, at the 2025 Pangasius Industry Review Conference held in Can Tho City, the Vietnam Pangasius Association announced that fingerling prices have surged to record levels due to acute supply shortages.
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