Compared with the same month of 2015, exports in Feb 2016 reported the highest growth of 52.3%. Exports in March, April, May 2016 reported smaller growth in which exports in Apr reached the lowest growth of 0.5%.
In Jan-May 2016, average import price into the U.S. reached US$9/kg compared to US$9.9/kg in Jan-May 2015. Specifically, the price of medium-sized peeled and deveined shrimp (the size found on many menus) in the U.S. market plunged to US$9.4/kg; much lower than US$15.5/kg in 2013 due to low harvests caused by disease outbreak. This price level was ideal for US restaurants to buy shrimp and stock up for year-end holiday menus and promotions.
Better outlook for the U.S. economy, USD’s strength stimulated local consumers’ spending. Besides, lower inventory and the larger number of consumers went to foodservices and restaurants in the summer that boosted the US’s demand for shrimp.
In the first months of 2015, the U.S. tend to import more black tiger shrimp. In Jan-May 2015, the proportion of black tiger shrimp exported to the U.S. accounted for 24% and whiteleg shrimp occupied 69%. As of May 2016, the proportion of black tiger increased by 3% to 27% and white shrimp increased by 1 % to 70%. During the period, out of shrimp products exported to the U.S., processed black tiger (HS 16) reported the largest increase of 164% over the first 5 months of 2015. In the US market, the price of some black tiger products from Vietnam as of July 1st 2016 is more competitive than those of rivals in the region (Indonesia, India, Malaysia). Specifically, Vietnam’s black tiger shrimp size 16/20 was priced at US$6.25/pound while black tiger with the same type from India and Malaysia have the price of US$6.60/pound; Vietnam’s black tiger shrimp count U-15 was quoted at US$8.30 while that of Indonesia was US$8.50/pound. The U.S. was the 2nd largest consumer market of Vietnam black tiger shrimp with the proportion of nearly 20%. Vietnam’s black tiger shrimp exports, especially HOSO black tiger to the U.S. are facilitated thanks to advantages of the supply on comparison with rivals.
As of May 2016, shrimp imports into the U.S. reached 218,480 MT, worth nearly US$2 billion; down 1% in volume and 10% in value compared to the same period of 2015. Indonesia is the largest supplier to the U.S., accounting for 22.3% of US’s total shrimp imports. It was followed by India and Thailand accounting for 20.9% and 13%, respectively. Vietnam ranked the 4th position, accounting for 12.4% of the market share.
|
Average price of shrimp imported into US (US$/kg) |
|||
|
Supply |
Jan-May 2015 |
Jan-May 2016 |
Variations(%) |
|
World |
10.1 |
9.4 |
-7.3 |
|
Indonesia |
10.8 |
9.5 |
-11.2 |
|
India |
10.6 |
9.8 |
-7.5 |
|
Ecuador |
7.9 |
7.8 |
-1.8 |
|
Thailand |
11.6 |
9.8 |
-15.9 |
|
Vietnam |
12.2 |
11.2 |
-8.2 |
|
China |
7.2 |
6.7 |
-7.3 |
Among top 5 largest suppliers of shrimp to the U.S., only Vietnam increased both the volume and value of shrimp exported to the U.S. with 13% and 2% in turn. Thailand raised 8% in export volume to U.S. while the volume of shrimp exported to the U.S. from India remain unchanged compared to the same period in 2015. Notably, shrimp exports from Ecuador to the U.S. fell the most in the top 5 suppliers for the U.S. The U.S. tend to reduce imports from Ecuador and raise imports from Asian suppliers such as Vietnam, India, Thailand and China because these suppliers can meet US’s demand for shrimp skewers with reasonable price. While Ecuador surged shrimp exports to China because of high demand and low import duty.
Thailand planned to raise shrimp exports to the U.S. due to decline in its market share in EU market caused by GSP lost from EU.
|
Top 5 largest shrimp suppliers to US, Jan-May 2016 (Value: US$ thousand, Volume: MT) |
|||||||||
|
Suppliers |
2015 |
Jan-May 2015 |
Jan-May 2016 |
Variations (%) |
|||||
|
Value |
Volume |
Value |
Volume |
Value |
Volume |
Average import price (US$/kg) |
Value |
Volume |
|
|
World |
5,460,271 |
587,507 |
2,200,953 |
220,418 |
1,982,174 |
218,480 |
9 |
-10 |
-1 |
|
Indonesia |
1,100,983 |
114,494 |
508,528 |
49,212 |
442,253 |
47,529 |
9 |
-13 |
-3 |
|
India |
1,284,690 |
135,650 |
444,359 |
43,600 |
415,556 |
43,817 |
9 |
-6 |
-- |
|
Thailand |
755,512 |
73,883 |
285,600 |
25,778 |
261,526 |
27,810 |
9 |
-8 |
8 |
|
Vietnam |
663,730 |
60,893 |
241,120 |
20,230 |
246,437 |
22,925 |
11 |
2 |
13 |
|
Ecuador |
635,370 |
85,744 |
282,211 |
36,558 |
228,982 |
30,253 |
8 |
-19 |
-17 |
(vasep.com.vn) In the first quarter of 2026, Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached USD 1.069 billion, up 17.5% compared to the same period in 2025. This is a positive result amid an uneven global shrimp market recovery, intensifying competition among major suppliers, and continued volatility in the international trade environment. However, this growth does not reflect a broad-based recovery across the entire sector, but rather is driven mainly by strong performance in a few markets and specific product segments—most notably lobster exports to China.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tuna exports continued to decline in March 2026. Cumulatively, in the first three months of the year, export value reached USD 208 million, down 4% compared to the same period in 2025. The export landscape shows clear divergence across markets: while the U.S. and EU remain challenging, markets such as Russia, the Middle East, Egypt, the Philippines, and Mexico have emerged as growth bright spots.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In Quang Ngai Province, shrimp farming costs are rising sharply due to लगातार increases in feed, fuel, and input material prices, while farm-gate shrimp prices are declining. This has significantly reduced farmers’ profit margins and increased production risks.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports are experiencing impressive growth, reflecting expanding global demand as well as the sector’s development potential. However, behind the strong growth figures lie limitations in production capacity and supply chains, highlighting the need for sustainable development in the coming period.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East in 2025 and early 2026 have shown notable growth. However, escalating geopolitical tensions in the region have increasingly impacted export activities since March. This situation presents a challenge of balancing market expansion opportunities with rising trade risks.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The Quang Tri Department of Agriculture and Environment has instructed localities to base their stocking schedules on actual conditions in each farming area, while developing plans, allocating resources, and implementing synchronized measures for disease prevention and disaster risk management in aquaculture production.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first two months of 2026, Vietnam’s exports of fish cakes and surimi exceeded USD 45 million, up 7% compared to the same period in 2025, indicating a positive outlook for this product segment amid recovering demand in many markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) During the week from April 4th to 10th, 2026, Quang Ngai province intensified its monitoring and law enforcement activities with the determination to eliminate illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing practices.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Thanh Hoa’s shrimp sector is undergoing a strong transformation by accelerating the adoption of high technology, helping to improve productivity, increase profits, and meet market demands. The province currently has about 4,100 hectares of shrimp farming, with output continuing to rise despite stable farming area, mainly due to the shift from traditional methods to intensive and super-intensive farming.
(vasep.com.vn) Amid ongoing volatility in global seafood trade, Vietnam’s crab exports have made a fairly positive start to 2026. According to Vietnam Customs statistics, export turnover in the first two months of 2026 reached nearly USD 55 million, up 24% compared to the same period in 2025 and more than 2.2 times higher than in the same period of 2024. This indicates that crab exports are entering 2026 with stronger growth momentum, particularly in Asian markets.
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