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 “Moringa Noodles Salad” product by Sa Giang Import-Export Corporation was honored as one of the “Top 10 Winning Products” at the THAIFEX – Anuga taste Innovation Show 2026, held as part of THAIFEX – Anuga Asia 2026 in Bangkok.
(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.
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