VJEPA came into effect since October 1st, 2009. This has been the first free trade agreement since Vietnam became the full member of WTO and the second agreement between Vietnam and Japan after the two countries joined the AJCEP signed in 2008. VJEPA was a comprehensive agreement, including many sectors such as commercial goods and services, investment as well as business environment improvement.
Vietnam and South Korea both joined the AKFTA. Under this agreement, the two countries further opened markets through giving privileges on some commercial goods and services. In August 2012, the two sides kicked off negotiations on Vietnam – Korea Free Trade Agreement with an aim to strengthen their bilateral economic cooperation. During the official visit of Korean President to Vietnam in last September, Vietnam and South Korea agreed to further negotiations towards a conclusion of the VKFTA at a higher and comprehensive level in 2014, as well as analyse the development gap between the two economies.
The VJEPA and AKFTA, if implemented coherently, will become one of important factors to improve commercial exchanges of Vietnam with Japan and Korea.
Japan has made a huge reduction of taxes on imported agricultural and seafood products, offering opportunities for Vietnamese exporters to sell products into the market. As the result, Vietnam’s exports to Japan were boosted. In 2012, agricultural products sent to this market brought back US$285 million of revenue, two-fold higher than that of 2009.
Though shipments of agricultural and seafood products from Vietnam to Japan kept increasing in value over the recent years, they just made up of a small proportion in Japanese total imports. Korea was also a big consumer of fishery products from other producing countries, but its purchase from Vietnam accounted for only 5 percent in total import value. Therefore, Vietnamese exporters will have more opportunities to boost shipments and develop shares in these markets.
Apart from a future import tax reduction and exemption under trade agreements, Vietnam needs to call for a removal of non-tariff barriers by Japan and Korea in order to enhance sales of agricultural and seafood products to these two destinations.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached US$1.14 billion in August 2026, up 6.4% year on year, bringing the total for the first eight months to more than US$8.0 billion, an increase of 11.9%. Monthly export value remained above US$1 billion, but August growth was only around half the rate recorded cumulatively through the first eight months. This indicates that the eight-month result was supported significantly by stronger performance in earlier months, while market conditions are entering a less predictable period.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Pangasius is attracting growing interest from Japanese seafood companies as prices of many traditional whitefish species remain high and supply becomes increasingly volatile. Notably, seafood group Kyokuyo has recently continued to feature pangasius among its priority products, highlighting its competitive pricing and stable supply.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) As Vietnam’s tilapia industry searches for new growth opportunities, venturing into brackish-water aquaculture could unlock a formidable competitive moat. Bypassing the volume-and-price bloodbath against established global heavyweights, Vietnam could differentiate itself through high-quality tilapia products tailored to specific farming conditions and value-added market segments.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) 2026 is rapidly shaping up to be a formidable stress test for Vietnamese pangasius exports to the United States. While exports to alternative markets maintain a resilient growth trajectory, the U.S market has declined significantly. In the first eight months of the year, pangasius exports to the U.S fell by nearly 14% year-on-year, with August alone recording a decline of more than 50%. The trend shows that difficulties in the U.S. market are not driven solely by weak consumer demand, but also by multiple layers of trade barriers that are intensifying simultaneously, particularly additional import tariffs, anti-dumping duties and growing protectionism for the domestic catfish industry.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports to Japan are showing positive signals in 2026, indicating that the market is opening up greater opportunities for pangasius products, particularly processed and value-added products. In the first seven months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to Japan reached US$31 million, up 20% year-on-year. In July alone, export value reached approximately US$5 million, up 30%.
On July 22, 2026, the Government issued Decree No. 292/2026/ND-CP detailing certain articles and providing measures for the organization and implementation of the Law on Foreign Trade Management. The Decree takes effect on September 5, 2026, replacing Decree No. 69/2018/ND-CP.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnamese pangasius producer Vinh Hoan has won the top prize at the 2026 Seafood Excellence Asia Awards for its Cured Panga Croquette, highlighting the growing potential of value-added pangasius products in international markets.
(vasep.com.vn) The Global Shrimp Forum (GSF) 2026 is taking place from September 1–3 in Utrecht, the Netherlands, bringing together around 585 delegates from 40 countries, representing approximately 300 companies and organizations across the shrimp supply chain. Representatives from VASEP are attending the event as part of the Vietnamese delegation, strengthening connections with partners across the global shrimp industry.
(vasep.com.vn) At the international B2B seminar (Hosted Buyer Program) held as part of Vietfish 2026, Mr. Nguyen Hoang Pham, Sales Director of Tai Kim Anh Seafood Processing Joint Stock Company, delivered a presentation entitled “Vietnam’s Shrimp Industry: Changing for Sustainability.” From the perspective of a seafood processor, the presentation highlighted that Vietnam’s shrimp industry continues to play a leading role in seafood exports, but is entering a new phase of competition in which change is no longer an option, but a prerequisite for growth.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) VIETFISH 2026 may have concluded after three dynamic days in Ho Chi Minh City, but conversations around the exhibition continue to resonate across international trade media, industry organizations, and the social media channels of participating companies.
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