The Covid pandemic caused a sharp increase in the cost of sea transport to the European and American markets and the shortage of containers, which significantly affected Vietnam's seafood export activities. Among export items, shrimp had the highest sales, accounting for 38% while marine fish (except tuna) had the most positive growth, up over 14% and accounting for 23% of seafood exports. Ranked third is pangasius with 344 million USD, up slightly 3% and accounting for 19%. Tuna exports increased slightly by 3% to 344.2 million USD, while the export of squid and octopus increased by nearly 8% to 116 million USD.
While Covid-19 continues to affect exports of high-priced fresh frozen seafood products such as fresh fish, squid, frozen octopus, and tiger shrimp, the exports of canned seafood products, dry, surimi, fish sauce ... have the potential for strong growth in the first quarter of this year.
In the first quarter of 2021, Vietnam exported seafood to 140 markets, of which the US market was still the pioneer in both turnover and export growth, accounting for nearly 19% of Vietnam's total seafood exports. Next is Japan with 17.6%, ranked third is the Chinese market with 11%.
Demand for seafood in the retail and service segments both tends to increase in major markets such as the US, EU and China's resolution of the congestion of import ports since March has had a positive impact. to Vietnam's seafood export activities to these markets.
How will the new Covid wave affect Vietnam's seafood production and export in the second quarter and the whole year 2021? Does Vietnam have the opportunity and room to increase exports to markets when Asian seafood producing and processing countries are heavily affected by the Covid epidemic?
We would like to invite the businesses and readers to register the Report on Vietnam Seafood Export in Quarter I/2021 to get a detailed information and satistic on sales, prices and export trends of Vietnamese seafood products in the first 3 months of the year, assessment of supply-demand of markets and forecast of production and export of seafood in the second quarter and the following months of 2021.
See table of content, list of figures and tables in the Report here.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On July 9, 2026, the Embassy of Vietnam in Brazil organized the seminar titled “Sharing Information on Vietnam-Brazil Economic, Trade and Investment Relations in the First Half of 2026” to provide updates on bilateral cooperation and strengthen connections among government agencies, industry associations, and business communities of the two countries.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood exports in the first 6 months of the year continued to be a bright spot with a total turnover of 5.7 billion USD, an increase of 11.4% compared to the same period last year. By commodity group, seafood is one of the three groups with a trade balance in the first 6 months of 2026 in a surplus state with 4.13 billion USD, an increase of 17%.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) For many years, Vietnam’s seafood industry has been recognized as one of the country’s key export pillars. Products such as shrimp, pangasius, tuna, squid, octopus, and a wide range of other seafood have reached hundreds of markets worldwide. Yet behind these impressive export figures lies a significant challenge: a substantial share of Vietnam’s seafood export value still comes from minimally processed products, contract manufacturing, and raw material exports—segments characterized by low profit margins and high vulnerability to fluctuations in global prices.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the context of a global economy shifting powerfully toward green and sustainable values, Vietfish 2026 is far more than just a commercial trade fair. It has become a strategic rendezvous and a "comprehensive ecosystem"—a convergence of value, knowledge, and sustainable growth opportunities for the entire industry chain.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports to Colombia continued their strong upward momentum in May 2026. Export value to the market reached USD 4 million, up 24% compared to the same month in 2025. Cumulative exports in the first five months of 2026 totaled USD 24 million, an impressive 48% increase year-on-year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Hai Phong's aquaculture sector is accelerating the adoption of high technologies in aquaculture to adapt to climate change, with red tilapia and tilapia identified as the key cultured species for priority development.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached nearly US$1.1 billion in June 2026, up 21.0% year-on-year. Cumulative exports in the first half of 2026 totaled nearly US$5.8 billion, representing a 12.8% increase compared with the same period last year. Exports to China and Hong Kong continued to accelerate, while shipments to the United States rebounded strongly in June. In contrast, exports to the EU, Japan, and the Middle East remained sluggish or recorded slight declines.
(vasep.com.vn) Tilapia is playing an increasingly important role in Vietnam’s aquaculture sector, driven not only by growing market opportunities but also by its ability to meet increasingly stringent requirements on quality, food safety, and traceability. In practice, tilapia farming in Vietnam is not a spontaneous or loosely regulated activity; rather, it operates under a comprehensive legal and technical framework covering the entire value chain—from hatcheries and farming to processing and exports.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached USD 1.9 billion in the first five months of 2026, up 12% compared with the same period last year. Amid continued volatility in the global seafood market, this result demonstrates that the shrimp sector has maintained positive growth momentum, supported by improving demand in several Asian markets, particularly China.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On June 16, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Ca Mau Province announced that the locality has established a farming area code for nearly 30,400 hectares of mud crab aquaculture and granted export facility codes to five enterprises eligible to export mud crab officially to markets such as China, Cambodia, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
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