Due to the economic recession, consumers in traditional import markets, especially the EU, have cut their spending, Mr. Hoe was quoted by the Thoi Bao Kinh Te newspaper as saying.
Importers are also dealing with obstacles in importing seafood products from Vietnam. In previous years, importers could buy Vietnamese seafood and pay later. However, they now have to pay immediately as their Vietnamese partners are also having financial difficulty, Hoe noted.
Vietnams seafood exporters also encounter fierce competition from India and Thailand, he said.
In addition, some Vietnamese seafood products are facing technical barriers from importing countries. Due to Japans strict regulation on Ethoxyquin residues in shrimp, Vietnams shipments to its biggest shrimp market have fallen sharply, Mr. Hoe noted.
Regarding the Ethoxyquin antibiotic issue, VASEP has urged the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Industry and Trade to work with Japanese authorities to raise the permitted level of the antibiotic in Vietnamese shrimp product. It has also requested aquatic feed producers and shrimp farmers to use less Ethoxyquin while and change the cultivation methods, Hoe informed.
Increasing transport fees have also negatively affected the countrys seafood exports, he added.
VASEP Vice Chairman Duong Ngoc Minh also blamed banks mechanism in setting interest rate and credit limit for hindering the cash flows of enterprises, forcing both farmers and enterprises to sell their products at any prices in order to pay off debts.
Mr. Hoe urged farmers and enterprises to tighten control of pangasius export in order to maintain product quality. According to the VASEP, 65 enterprises exporting pangasius to the EU are capable of providing 600,000 tons of pangasius to the global market annually.
Earlier last month, however, the e-newspaper of the Ministry of Industry and Trade reported that seafood exports in the remaining months of 2012 will bounce back thanks to support from the government, especially a VND9 trillion soft loan package to assist pangasius farmers. It is unclear whether farmers have actually received the money yet.
Seafood is one of Vietnams export staples. In the first nine months of this year, the country earned $4.5 billion from seafood export, up 3.5% on year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The year 2025 marked a pivotal milestone for Vietnam’s seafood industry in its restructuring process toward sustainability, transparency, and higher value creation, amid continued uncertainties in the global economic and trade environment. Prolonged inflation in major economies, the rising trend of trade protectionism, and increasingly stringent requirements related to environmental standards, traceability, and social responsibility have posed significant challenges to seafood production and exports. Nevertheless, overcoming these pressures, Vietnam’s seafood sector has gradually demonstrated its adaptability, maintained growth momentum, and laid an important foundation for the next stage of development.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Amid the increasingly evident impacts of drought and saltwater intrusion, the shrimp-rice production model in Ca Mau province continues to prove itself as a viable direction, contributing to higher farmer incomes, improved soil conditions and the promotion of ecological and sustainable agricultural development.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The management of fishing vessels, monitoring of fishing activities, and handling of violations in the fisheries sector in Lam Dong province have continued to be implemented in a synchronized and stringent manner, contributing to raising awareness of legal compliance among fishermen and aiming to end illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Can Tho’s fishery industry sustained steady growth in 2025 with total aquatic and marine output reaching nearly 783,000 tons, fulfilling 100% of the annual target. Aquaculture, capture fisheries and fishing fleet management were further strengthened, aiming for sustainable development in the coming years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s pangasius export turnover reached nearly USD 2.2 billion, up 8% year-on-year. This result indicates that pangasius exports maintained their growth momentum despite significant volatility in the global market environment. In December 2025, pangasius export value reached USD 200 million, up 10% compared to December 2024. This solid performance in the final month of the year reflects increased import demand for consumption and inventory replenishment in key markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Spain experienced significant fluctuations. According to Vietnam Customs, during the first 11 months of 2025, export turnover for the first 11 months of the year edged up by 0.3% year-on-year, reaching nearly $15 million.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son has signed Decision No. 16/QD-TTg, dated January 5, 2026, approving the implementation plan for the Vietnam-Israel Free Trade Agreement (VIFTA). Under the plan, in the coming period, ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-affiliated entities and People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities must institutionalize and execute tasks focused on the dissemination of information regarding VIFTA and the Israeli market; legislative and institutional development, as well as enhancing competitiveness and human resource growth...
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Beyond achieving double-digit growth, Vietnam’s fish cake and surimi exports are showing a notable year-end "inflection point": the EU his accelerating with nearly twofold growth, China & Hong Kong are rising sharply, while the largest market, South Korea, signaled a slowdown in November. According to Vietnam Customs data, export turnover of fish cake and surimi reached $327 million in the first 11 months of 2025, up 22% year-on-year; November 2025 alone accounted for $35 million, marking a 5% increase. This serves as a critical foundation for exporters to reassess market structures and competitive intensity while finalizing order strategies for 2026.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Ca Mau, widely regarded as the nation’s “shrimp capital”, continued its strong performance in 2025 as shrimp output reached nearly 600,000 tons, maintaining its position as Vietnam’s leading shrimp-producing locality.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On December 29, 2025, at the 2025 Pangasius Industry Review Conference held in Can Tho City, the Vietnam Pangasius Association announced that fingerling prices have surged to record levels due to acute supply shortages.
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