Domestic raw material satisfies 60 – 65 percent of production capacity of processing plants. Over recent years, local companies have to import raw material from other countries to ensure production and exports in order to keep jobs for thousands of workers and raise competitiveness.
Between 2009 and 2012, imports of seafood into Vietnam doubled to reach US$700 million while the Ministry of Finances proposed to increase fish import tax. This would cause many obstacles for seafood companies in the context of tough competition in the global market.
Over the past of 2 years, Vietnamese exports of marine fish products keep decreasing mainly due to lack of raw material. Cephalopod products saw a drop of 3.5 – 10.8 percent in sales abroad in the 3 straight years. In Q.I/2014, tuna got the deepest year-on-year fall of 25.6 percent among marine products.
Some years ago, Vietnamese Prime Minister approved the strategy on development of fishery industry and the planning on development of seafood processing in Vietnam by 2020. Accordingly, seafood processing is considered as the drive for other branches including fisheries, aquaculture and logistic services. The objective is to build up a modern, consistent and sustainable processing chain from pond to table along with high competitiveness in the global market by 2020.
Vietnamese seafood exports are expected to reach US$8 billion by 2015 and US$10 billion by 2020. To reach this target, Vietnam needs to import 600,000 MT of raw fish (equal to US$1.3 – 1.5 billion) by 2015 and 1 million MT (equal to US$2 – 2.5 billion) by 2020.
So far, Vietnamese seafood companies have still been grappling with many challenges, as they are facing stricter technical and trade barriers set by importing markets and strong competition from other supplying countries. These challenges become tougher due to high tax and complicated procedures to import raw fish for processing to export and fulfilling supply contracts with foreign companies. Tax on seafood imported into Vietnam is higher than that imposed in other countries in Asia, which leads to weaken their competitiveness against other exporting countries like Thailand and China. The countries facilitate seafood imports in order to protect domestic fish stocks.
Currently, Ministry of Finances reduces taxes to zero for some fish species imported into Vietnam for processing to export. However, taxes on imported main species including shrimp, tuna or cephalopods are still high. Tax on imported shrimp is at 10-15 percent, for tuna 12 – 24 percent and 10 – 17 percent for cephalopod.
On April 17, 2014, VASEP sent an Official Letter No. 75/2014/CV-VASEP to Minister of Finances, Hoang Anh Tuan, to propose a meeting between leaders of Ministry of Finances and representatives of seafood companies to discuss Association's 4 recommendations on customs and import tax procedures.
VASEP is asking Ministry of Finances to consider reduction of tax to zero percent for some key fish species in short supply.
Previously, VASEP's recommendation on import tax reduction was accepted by Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) through MARD's Official Letter No. 3552/BNN-CB of November 16, 2011.
(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.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Entering 2026, the U.S. whitefish market has shown complex developments as global cod supply continues to tighten, while the U.S. trade environment becomes less stable. In this context, the U.S. market has had to become more flexible in sourcing alternative whitefish. However, relying heavily on Alaska pollock is not a long-term solution, as it is a strictly managed fishery with quotas and sustainability regulations, limiting any rapid increase in output to offset cod shortages.
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