This radical departure from 8 years of legal precedent relates to the use of a new surrogate country, Indonesia, to value inputs of raw materials used in fish processing. Because Vietnam is considered to be a “non market economy” by the US Government, the US DOC uses third country prices to value Vietnamese inputs.
Indonesia has been rejected in prior reviews due to poor data quality and lack of viable financial statements. The DOC itself declared that Indonesia is not “economically comparable” to Vietnam for a majority of the months covered by the review period, and then barred Vietnam from citing to this decision on the untenable position that it was “new information.”
In the final results, the DOC based its valuation of whole live fish prices – the primary input in the fish fillet case – on one Indonesian government pricing study which showed radical fluctuations in pricing and was not based on actual prices, but on calculated national averages from a handful of districts.
The DOC engineered this punitive result after intense political lobbying on behalf of the US domestic industry, the Catfish Farmers of America (CFA). There was no attempt to hide the multiple high-level meetings and lobbying efforts made on behalf of the CFA directly to the DOC. It clearly draws into question the fairness of the process and the alleged “neutral” nature of the DOC decision-makers. Vietnamese respondents have fully cooperated with DOC through multiple on-site verifications and the filing of full and complete responses and data over nearly 18 months.
For the past 8 years, the DOC has consistently used Bangladesh to value Vietnamese fish inputs, continually rejecting Philippines and Indonesia due to the poor quality of the pricing data, the lack of publicly available financial data, and the fact that these countries have no exports to other countries. No material changes had been made to these facts in this review.
Bangladesh is farming Pangasius Hypophthalmus in ponds like Vietnam. Producers in the two countries share the reasonably comparable production cost and revenue. While Indonesia farms five different catfish species. Thus, there is even no specific data in its output of Pangasius Hypophthalmus.
In fact, the DOC continued to follow this well-reasoned policy even through the most recent new shipper review, published only a few weeks ago. There was no record evidence in the 8th review that Indonesia had improved its position as a viable surrogate country or that the data was any more reliable. We must therefore believe that domestic politics played a very obvious role in this decision.
The final duty rates for the reviewed companies – although not effective until a final determination is made – average between $0.19/kg and $1.34/kg, with all other separate rates companies receiving a $0.77/kg duty rate. These exceed 100% in additional duties. These rates effectively bar the reviewed Vietnamese exporters from the US market and are punitive, not remedial.
VASEP, together with individual fish exporters and the relevant trade remedy bureaus of the Vietnamese Government are studying all options in addressing this punitive result and its legality under U.S. law and the WTO. Further, there will be a comprehensive review of its impact on bi-lateral relations.
VASEP
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The “Moringa Noodles Salad” product by Sa Giang Import-Export Corporation was honored as one of the “Top 10 Winning Products” at the THAIFEX – Anuga taste Innovation Show 2026, held as part of THAIFEX – Anuga Asia 2026 in Bangkok.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a fairly strong upward trend in 2025, Vietnam’s clam exports entered 2026 with a mixed picture: strong growth at the beginning of the year, followed by a slowdown from March onward. According to Vietnam Customs data, Vietnam’s clam export turnover in the first four months of 2026 reached more than USD 38 million, up 2% compared to the same period in 2025.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius industry is facing new opportunities to expand its development space as many localities and businesses begin promoting marine farming models aimed at diversifying farming areas and adapting to climate change. However, for pangasius to truly “go offshore” and develop into a large-scale industry segment, significant challenges related to technology, broodstock, and markets still need to be addressed.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports in April 2026 reached USD 11 million, up 92% compared to the same period in 2025. This strong growth indicates that Vietnamese tilapia products are continuing to penetrate and expand rapidly in international markets. Cumulative export turnover in the first four months of 2026 reached USD 49 million, up 151% year-on-year.
(seafood.vasep.com) At VietShrimp Asia 2026, disease management trends in shrimp farming are shifting strongly from treatment-based approaches toward proactive prevention through environmental and pond ecosystem control.
(vasep.com.vn) After a period of strong growth, with export turnover reaching USD 38 million in Q1/2026 — up 174% year-on-year — the sector’s rapid expansion clearly reflects growing market opportunities.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first quarter of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the ASEAN bloc reached USD 44 million, up 7% compared to the same period in 2025. After falling to the lowest level of the quarter at USD 9 million in February — reflecting the seasonal slowdown in orders after the festive period — exports recovered strongly to USD 18 million in March, the highest monthly value of the quarter. This development shows that import demand for pangasius in ASEAN remains relatively stable despite short-term fluctuations.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On May 11, 2026, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced a positive comparability finding for Vietnam’s swimming crab fisheries, along with those of Indonesia and Sri Lanka, under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). With this decision, seafood and seafood products harvested from Vietnam’s swimming crab fisheries will continue to be eligible for import into the US market.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a slowdown in 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Germany showed more positive signs in the first quarter of 2026. However, the recovery remains uncertain as consumer demand in Germany is still cautious, while market competition is increasingly driven by pricing and supply stability.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a sharp decline in 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Israel are showing positive signs of recovery in the early months of 2026. According to Vietnam Customs data, export turnover to this market grew steadily month by month in Q1/2026, reaching nearly USD 10 million, up 33% compared to the same period in 2025. However, compared to Q1/2024, this level remains significantly lower, indicating that the recovery is still in its early stage following last year’s strong adjustment.
VASEP - HIỆP HỘI CHẾ BIẾN VÀ XUẤT KHẨU THỦY SẢN VIỆT NAM
Chịu trách nhiệm: Ông Nguyễn Hoài Nam - Phó Tổng thư ký Hiệp hội
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Trưởng Ban Biên tập: Bà Phùng Thị Kim Thu
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