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
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports in September 2026 are estimated at US$1.135 billion, up 11.9% year-on-year, bringing total exports in the first nine months of the year to US$9.103 billion, up 11.4%. Behind this double-digit growth, however, increasingly divergent market trends are emerging: China–Hong Kong and ASEAN posted strong growth, while the U.S., EU and Japan all recorded declines in September.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Brazil became the largest market for Vietnamese tilapia, with export value reaching US$44 million, up 22,142% year-on-year and accounting for 49% of Vietnam’s total tilapia exports. In August alone, exports to Brazil reached US$4 million. However, behind this remarkable growth is a market that is imposing increasingly stringent requirements on imported supplies.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tuna exports sustained their upward trajectory in August 2026, though the pace remained modest at just 2%. The month saw divergent trends across key markets: the US maintained its leading position, Japan and Canada improved, Russia surged and the EU continued to experience a steep downturn. These developments suggest that exporters are entering the final months of the year amid a market environment marked by greater uncertainty.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Congalsa has acquired the entire charter capital of Lenger Seafood Vietnam, giving it full ownership of the business and its Nam Dinh processing facility.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Ninh Binh Province is entering a peak period of action against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, focusing on thoroughly addressing violations, closely monitoring fishing vessels at ports and preventing vessels from violating regulations and operating illegally in foreign waters ahead of the European Commission’s (EC) upcoming inspection in 2026.
(vasep.com.vn) The application of biotechnology in seed production is increasingly viewed as a strategic imperative to upgrade pangasius fingerling quality, optimize farming efficiency and anchor sustainable industry development.
(vasep.com.vn) On September 15, 2026, in Can Tho, VASEP and ASC jointly organized a training course titled “New ASC standards: updates and practical implementation guidance for farms, businesses and aquafeed mills”. Beyond briefing stakeholders on updated ASC requirements for aquaculture facilities and feed production, the workshop dedicated substantial floor time to directly addressing on-the-ground compliance bottlenecks encountered by Vietnamese enterprises.
(searfood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports continued to post positive results in the first eight months of 2026, with total export value reaching US$90 million, up 43% year-on-year. However, exports in August alone stood at US$11 million, down 8%, reflecting uneven market developments. Brazil remained the leading market, while Japan recorded notable growth, opening up new opportunities for Vietnamese tilapia products.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached US$3.3 billion in the first eight months of 2026, up 12% year on year. However, growth has begun to slow and become more differentiated across markets, while the U.S. and EU continue to present significant challenges. The latest insights from the Global Shrimp Forum 2026 (GSF 2026), held in early September, also indicate that the final months of the year will remain highly competitive as global supply continues to expand and buyers increasingly focus on quality, product specifications, supply stability and the ability to meet market-specific demand.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In August 2026, Vietnam’s seafood exports reached $1.14 billion, up 6% year on year. Cumulative eight-month exports rose 11.8% to $8.00 billion, though momentum has cooled compared to the 12.8% growth seen through July. China - Hong Kong and ASEAN are offsetting weakness in the U.S, EU and partly Japan. This divergence will likely widen in Q4 as trade tariffs and traceability requirements directly weigh on new orders.
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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