Saudi Arabia leads tilapia imports in Asia
Saudi Arabia was Vietnam’s largest tilapia import market in Asia during the first four months of 2026, with export turnover reaching USD 3 million. The market accounted for 6% of Vietnam’s total tilapia export value and posted an impressive increase of 542% compared to the same period in 2025.
In terms of product composition, Saudi Arabia primarily imported frozen whole tilapia, which accounted for 89% of export value. The remaining 11% consisted of frozen tilapia fillets.
Japan mainly imports frozen fillets
Vietnam’s tilapia exports to Japan reached USD 1 million during the first four months of 2026, representing 2% of total tilapia exports. Compared with the same period in 2025, exports to Japan increased by 92%.
Japan’s import structure was dominated by frozen tilapia products under HS Chapter 03. Frozen fillets accounted for 89% of export value, while other HS 03 products represented 11%, mainly frozen whole fish and a small volume of fresh and chilled products. Value-added products accounted for only a negligible share.
Malaysia and South Korea focus on frozen whole fish
Malaysia recorded import value of USD 1 million, accounting for 2% of Vietnam’s total tilapia exports during the first four months of the year and increasing by 144% year-on-year.
Unlike Japan, Malaysia primarily imported frozen whole tilapia, which represented 68% of export value. Frozen fillets accounted for the remaining 32%.
Vietnam’s tilapia exports to South Korea reached approximately USD 628,000 during the first four months of 2026, accounting for 1.3% of total export value and declining by 35% compared with the same period last year.
In terms of product composition, South Korea imported exclusively frozen whole tilapia. No imports of frozen tilapia fillets or value-added tilapia products were recorded during the period.
UAE records small export value but exceptional growth
Exports to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reached USD 119,000, accounting for 0.2% of Vietnam’s total tilapia exports. According to Vietnam Customs data, export value increased by an extraordinary 248,583% compared with the same period in 2025.
The product structure in the UAE was similar to that of South Korea, with frozen whole fish under HS Chapter 03 accounting for 100% of export value.
Middle East and ASEAN markets drive regional growth
By regional grouping, tilapia exports to the Middle East exceeded USD 3 million during the first four months of 2026, accounting for 6.5% of Vietnam’s total tilapia export value and increasing by 395% year-on-year. Saudi Arabia contributed the majority of the region’s import value.
ASEAN markets generated USD 1 million in export turnover, accounting for 2.2% of total tilapia exports and recording growth of 139%.
Overall, Vietnam’s tilapia exports to Asia during the first four months of 2026 displayed significant differences in both market performance and product composition. Japan and Taiwan mainly imported frozen fillets, while Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and the UAE focused more heavily on frozen whole fish.
At present, value-added tilapia products still account for only a small share of Vietnam’s tilapia exports to Asian markets. This is partly because Vietnam’s tilapia industry remains in a development phase, with many companies still concentrating on traditional product lines while gradually investing in value-added segments.
As demand for convenient whitefish products continues to grow across the region, Vietnamese tilapia still has substantial opportunities to expand market share and increase export value in Asian markets through the development of higher-value processed products.
(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.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnamese seafood exports recorded impressive growth, generating nearly 6 billion USD in revenue during the first six months of the year, up 13% compared with the same period last year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Fishermen in Ha Tinh are gradually overcoming difficulties to maintain the efficiency of seafood exploitation. In the first six months of 2026, the entire province achieved a production of more than 23,000 tons of seafood, worth more than 1,200 billion VND.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) June 2026 brought encouraging signs for Vietnam's tuna exports, with export value rising 20% year-on-year to nearly USD 72 million. However, this increase has yet to offset the prolonged slowdown seen in key markets such as the European Union (EU), where import demand remains weak. The outlook for the second half of the year is expected to become more challenging as freight rates continue to climb.
(vasep.com.vn) As part of the Vietnam Fisheries International Exhibition (Vietfish 2026), the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), in collaboration with the Agency for Domestic Market Management and Development under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, will organize the Domestic Seafood Supply–Demand Matching Program on the morning of August 20, 2026, at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), Ho Chi Minh City. The program aims to foster direct business connections between Vietnamese seafood producers and processors and domestic distributors, retailers, and foodservice channels.
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