In the first half of 2021, Vietnam's seafood exports reached 4.1 billion USD, up nearly 15% over the same period last year thanks to stable production and strong recovery in demand in many markets. Entering the third quarter, the Covid-19 epidemic broke out strongly in Ho Chi Minh City. Ho Chi Minh City and 19 southern provinces caused seafood exports in the third quarter to decrease by 15% over the same period last year to 2.07 billion USD.
Accumulated in the first 9 months of the year, seafood exports still maintained a growth rate of 2.8%, reaching nearly USD 6.2 billion, of which shrimp accounted for nearly 45%, pangasius 17.4%, and tuna accounted for 8.4 %, cephalopod molluscs accounted for 6.6%, bivalve molluscs and crabs accounted for a total of 3.5%, other fish accounted for 19.4%.
The extent of epidemic impacts in regions/localities is reflected in the decline of each commodity: Exports of pangasius and some marine products such as other marine fish, cephalopod molluscs decreased more sharply than shrimp and tuna.
Seafood exports in the first 9 months of the year to some major markets and groups such as the EU, the US and the Middle East still maintained positive growth thanks to good export results in the first 7 months, while exports to China, Japan and ASEAN decreased markedly.
From August 2021, seafood exports to all major markets decreased because domestic processing production was disrupted, seafood companies hardly maintained production in the context of disease risks and other economic conditions. required social distancing to prevent epidemics. Exports to other markets decreased from 14-36%, in September continued to decrease from 3-51%, except for the US market, which increased slightly by 3%.
To what extent will seafood exports recover in the fourth quarter? Export turnover by the end of 2021 will reach the target higher than 2020?
Please register to read VASEP's Report on Vietnam Seafood Exports in the third quarter of 2021 to grasp the seafood export situation during the last quarter of the "Covid crisis", the export situation in the last quarter of the year. for the first 9 months of the year, identifying the trend of production and export in the last quarter of the year in the "new normal" situation of production and preventing epidemic.
See the Content and List of figures and tables of the Report here
For detailed information and subscription, please contact: Ms Nguyen Thu Trang - Mobile: +84 906 151 556 - Email: nguyentrang@vasep.com.vn
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports recorded strong growth in the first half of 2026, but the performance was increasingly uneven across products, markets and enterprises. VASEP’s newly released premium report provides the detailed data and analysis needed to understand what lies behind the headline figures and prepare for the more challenging months ahead.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Brazil remains one of the key markets for Vietnamese pangasius in South America. However, exports to the market showed signs of slowing in the first half of 2026, while frozen pangasius fillets continued to account for the overwhelming majority of exports.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Marking 27 years of supporting Vietnam’s seafood industry, the Vietnam International Seafood Exhibition (VIETFISH 2026) will officially return from August 19–21, 2026, at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) in Ho Chi Minh City, on its largest scale ever. Under the core theme “Innovation – Sustainability,” the event promises to provide a comprehensive picture of the transformation of Vietnam’s seafood industry toward greater value addition and sustainable development.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) With less than three weeks remaining, the Vietnam Fisheries International Exhibition – Vietfish 2026 will officially take place from August 19–21, 2026, at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) in Ho Chi Minh City. Under the theme "Innovation – Sustainability," Vietfish 2026 will provide a comprehensive networking platform for seafood businesses, buyers, distributors, industry experts, government agencies, and domestic and international visitors.
(vasep.com.vn) As part of the Vietnam Fisheries International Exhibition – Vietfish 2026, the technical seminar “Green and Sustainable Technology Solutions for the Aquaculture and Seafood Processing Value Chain” will take place from 09:30 to 11:45 on August 20, 2026, at Convention Room B, Level 2, SECC, Ho Chi Minh City. The seminar is jointly organized by VASEP, the Department of Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance, and the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Vietnam, focusing on technological innovation and sustainable transformation across Vietnam’s seafood value chain.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Market fluctuations, rising production costs, and increasingly stringent requirements from export markets are placing growing pressure on the shrimp industry. In response, Vinh Long Province is promoting high-tech shrimp farming integrated with production–consumption value chains to improve efficiency, reduce risks, and enhance the industry's value.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam's tilapia exports to Japan posted strong growth in the first half of 2026, while a promising new trend has emerged in the value-added product segment. Notably, Vietnamese tilapia fillets have been exported to Japan for use in sushi and sashimi, creating new opportunities to enhance the value of the industry in one of the world's most demanding seafood markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a relatively sluggish first quarter, Vietnam's exports of fish cakes and surimi showed a clearer recovery in the second quarter, particularly in June. Export value in the first six months of 2026 reached USD 148 million, down 2% year on year. However, the newly imposed 12.5% additional U.S. tariff on Vietnamese goods, intensifying competition in Northeast Asia, and increasingly stringent traceability requirements in the EU are making the outlook for the second half of the year more uncertain.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In June 2026, Vietnam's shrimp exports reached nearly USD 458 million, up 24% year-on-year. In the first six months of 2026, export value totaled USD 2.35 billion, an increase of 14.2% compared with the same period last year. Growth was driven mainly by the Chinese market and the strong performance of lobster exports, while shrimp exports continued to face pressure from U.S. tariffs and rising logistics costs.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) As part of Vietfish 2026, the Hosted Buyer Program is designed as a specialized B2B matchmaking initiative for selected international buyers, providing opportunities to meet directly with Vietnamese seafood exporters, gain the latest market insights, and experience Vietnam's seafood supply chain firsthand.
VASEP - HIỆP HỘI CHẾ BIẾN VÀ XUẤT KHẨU THỦY SẢN VIỆT NAM
Chịu trách nhiệm: Ông Nguyễn Hoài Nam - Phó Tổng thư ký Hiệp hội
Đơn vị vận hành trang tin điện tử: Trung tâm VASEP.PRO
Trưởng Ban Biên tập: Bà Phùng Thị Kim Thu
Giấy phép hoạt động Trang thông tin điện tử tổng hợp số 138/GP-TTĐT, ngày 01/10/2013 của Bộ Thông tin và Truyền thông
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 – (ext.203); email: kimthu@vasep.com.vn
Trụ sở: Số 7 đường Nguyễn Quý Cảnh, Phường An Phú, Quận 2, Tp.Hồ Chí Minh
Tel: (+84) 28.628.10430 - Fax: (+84) 28.628.10437 - Email: vasephcm@vasep.com.vn
VPĐD: số 10, Nguyễn Công Hoan, Ngọc Khánh, Ba Đình, Hà Nội
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 - Fax: (+84 24) 37715084 - Email: vasephn@vasep.com.vn
