Squid continued to be the key export item of Vietnam in the first half of 2018, accounting for 55% of the total export value; while octopus accounted for 45%. Of that, exports of dried/salted/fresh/live/frozen octopus (HS code 03) remained to account for the highest proportion of 36%; followed by fresh/live/frozen squid item (HS code 03), accounting for 30%.
Compared with the same period in 2017, exports of squid products decreased, while those of octopus products increased. The export value of processed octopus (HS code 16) increased by 51%, followed by dried/grilled squid (HS code 03) with 40%. Shipments of live/fresh/frozen squid (HS code 03) fell by 17.5%.
South Korea
In July 2018, Vietnam’s cephalopod exports to South Korea fell by 3% compared with July 2017, reaching US$20 million. However, thanks to the continuous growth in the first months of the year, the total export turnover in the first 7 months of the year reached more than US$23 million, up 13% over the same period in 2017. South Korea continued to be the largest importing market of Viet Nam, accounting for 36.8% of the total export value of Vietnamese cephalopod to markets.
Japan
After the recovery in June, Vietnam’s cephalopod exports to Japan in July decreased by 18%, reaching US$2 million; the figure in the first 7 months of the year amounted to US$80 million, up 3.5%.
Vietnam’s squid exports to Japan decreased by 9% over the same period last year. Meanwhile, exports of octopus products increased by 34%. This year, the proportion of Vietnam’s octopus exports to Japan tended to increase.
Japan continued to rank the second in top buyers of Vietnamese cephalopod, accounting for 22.9%. Recently, the Japanese economy is on the trend of recovery and the yen has increased, which facilitated exports of Vietnamese octopus to the market.
The EU
Vietnam’s cephalopod exports to the EU in July 2018 reached US$7 million, down 41% compared with July 2017. Therefore, the figure in the first seven months of this year was down 27% to hit US$46 million.
This year, exports of Vietnamese octopus to the EU increased by 105%. Meanwhile, exports of squid products to the market fell by 39%.
In July 2018, Vietnam’s cephalopod exports to the three largest importing markets in the bloc, including Italy Spain and France had been on the recovery.
ASEAN
This year, Vietnam’s cephalopod exports to ASEAN in July 2018 decreased by 12.4%, reaching US$6.8 million. However, thanks to the good growth in the previous months, the total export value in the first seven months of this year increased by 20% to nearly US$46 million.
Of that, squid is the main export item of Vietnam to ASEAN. The export value of Vietnamese squid to this market accounted for 97.3% of the total cephalopod sales to the region; that of octopus accounted for 2.7%. Among the items exported to ASEAN, dried/grilled squid products were the most popular in this market.
Thailand held as the large importing market of Vietnamese octopus in ASEAN with the proportion of 75% total cephalopod exports to ASEAN. Vietnam was currently the second largest supplier of cephalopod to Thailand (behind China), making up 25%.
In the coming time, Vietnam’s cephalopod exports forecasted to increase slightly.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Tilapia is easy to farm and provides high economic and nutritional value, making it a sought-after export commodity in many countries.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports in the first 10 months of 2025 recorded significant progress, reaching more than USD 9.5 billion, up 15% year-on-year. This result reflects the sector’s persistent efforts amid a highly volatile market, especially policy shocks from the US Although signs of slowdown emerged in the third quarter due to countervailing taxes, key product groups still maintained strong momentum and created a foundation for full-year exports to reach USD 11 billion.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s agreement with the United States on a framework for reciprocal, fair, and balanced trade—reached during the 2025 ASEAN Summit in Malaysia—has generated strong optimism for Vietnamese exports, including tuna. Numerous positive points in the joint statement have raised high expectations for Vietnamese export goods, but turning these expectations into tangible benefits remains a long and challenging journey.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) At the conference on “Linking the Production and Consumption Chain of Ca Mau Crab 2025,” Vice Chairman of the Ca Mau Provincial People’s Committee Lê Văn Sử posed a central question: how to shift the province’s crab exports toward official trade channels, instead of relying heavily on small-scale border trade with China as currently practiced.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The whitefish market in Japan is showing a clear divergence among supplying countries, in which Vietnam continues to affirm its role as a stable and high-potential exporter. Vietnam currently ranks third after the US and Russia in whitefish export value to Japan. Thanks to tariff incentives and the ability to meet Japan’s strict standards, Vietnamese pangasius continues to record a stable and positive growth trend.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The People's Committee of Ca Mau Province has just issued a plan to expand the super-intensive, low-water-exchange, biosecure white-leg shrimp farming model (RAS-IMTA) for whiteleg shrimp farming to a scale of 1,500 hectares, aiming to develop high-tech, sustainable and environmentally friendly shrimp farming.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Sa Giang Import-Export Joint Stock Company (HNX: SGC) plans to issue over 7.1 million shares to raise nearly 465 Billion VND for Hoan Ngoc M&A Deal.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to Rabobank, global tilapia production is forecast to exceed 7 million tons in 2025, driven by a strong recovery in major producing countries including China, Indonesia, Egypt, Bangladesh and Vietnam. Among them, Vietnam is emerging as a potential tilapia supplier in the global supply chain, capitalizing on market fluctuations to expand production and exports.
By the end of Q3/2025, Vietnam’s seafood industry recorded a clear recovery as a series of leading companies reported strong profits — some even achieving the highest results in their history. After several quarters struggling with high costs and weakened demand, the latest business results indicate a robust comeback across the industry.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On November 12 in Ho Chi Minh City, the Embassy of the Netherlands, in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, organized the Vietnam–Netherlands Business Forum under the theme “Shaping the future of sustainable aquaculture in the Mekong Delta.”
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