Vietnam pangasius fillets marinated with pepper and spices
Export is still need improvement
Before that, at the end of 2020, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) forecasts that the growth of the pangasius industry this year will be 5% with the export value at 1.6 billion USD. To achieve this goal, there are 4 issues that the pangasius industry needs to solve, including efforts to remove difficulties with the Chinese market, anti-dumping tax in the US market, increasing production of value added products and developing the domestic market to reduce dependence on exports.
According to pangasius production, processing and trading enterprises, in 2020, the Covid-19 epidemic severely affected exports, raw pangasius’ price in the Mekong Delta dropped from 26,500 VND/kg in March 2019 to 18,500 - 18,800 VND/kg in June 2020, by the end of 2020 it gradually inched up to 21,000 - 21,500 VND/kg and has been stablizing until now.
Mr. Truong Tien Dung, General Director of Saigon Aquatic Products Trading Joint Stock Company (APT), said "In 2020, exports declined dramatically, especially at the end of the year, export to China was congested. This year, exports to China have resumed normal, orders from the US and European markets have also increased".
According to Mr. Nguyen Van Kich, Chairman and General Director of Cafatex Corporation (Hau Giang), the situation of the pangasius industry this year is very unpredictable due to uncertain factors. Firstly, the Covid-19 epidemic in import markets remains complicated, and exports depend on pandemic control. Secondly, China, the leading market for pangasius imports, is not stable in terms of demand, and recently there is the problem in controlling Covid-19 epidemic for imported frozen goods.
Strive to conquer domestic customers
There was a large amount of export output that brought in billions of dollars in recent years, but in the domestic market, consumption of pangasius is still modest. In recent years, in order to pave the way for pangasius to return to the "home yard", businesses have organized many programs and activities to introduce processed pangasius products to consumers, typically pangasius buffet program. Along with that, businesses are diligent in researching and developing many preliminary processed and refined products from this nutritious and healthy fish.
"Products from pangasius are quite diversified, in addition to fillets, sliced, cleaned whole fish, fish can also be dried and refined ... serving both domestic and export markets. Dried pangasius products and dried basa fish have been positively received by the domestic market, especially during the flood and storm months in the Central region and after Lunar New Year "- APT General Director stated and added that dried basa fish and some products as well as the company's dried freshwater fish are produced under a closed process in a modern factory and exported to Europe, being vacuum preserved and branded as the company, so they are consumed well.
Mr. Pham Duc Cuong, co-founder of Uni-Sea Co., Ltd. (Hanoi) - specializing in basa fillets marinated with pepper sauce, said that after 10 years of researching on how to deodorize fish, he decided to choose basa fish for commercialization. "Basa fish has an export background, so the quality management process is very good, meeting the requirements of the most demanding markets in the world but the price is moderate, so there is a large ability to increase the value.”
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports in the first four months of 2026 maintained positive growth momentum, reaching approximately USD 1.5 billion, up 15% compared to the same period last year. However, behind this result lies diverging trends across markets, as the global shrimp industry continues to face pressure from inflation, high inventories, price competition, and increasing trade risks.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In Vinh Tuy commune (Kien Giang Province), many shrimp farmers are adopting bottom aeration systems and reporting clear economic benefits, helping increase income and reduce production risks.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first three months of 2026, Vietnam’s exports of crabs and other crustaceans reached more than USD 93 million, up 23% compared to the same period last year. The result shows that the sector is experiencing a fairly positive recovery, especially in its two key product groups: crabs and swimming crabs. However, behind the growth figures are several concerns: export markets remain highly concentrated, raw material supply is unstable, and trade barriers from the US and EU are becoming increasingly stringent.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In Ca Mau province, many farmers are transitioning from traditional methods to high-tech shrimp farming, adopting recirculating systems with minimal water exchange to improve efficiency and reduce risks. In Hung My commune alone, there are about 260 super-intensive shrimp farming households covering more than 265 hectares, playing a key role in local economic development.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first three months of 2026, Vietnam’s exports of fish cake and surimi reached USD 63 million, down 5% compared to the same period last year. Although total export value declined slightly due to decreases in some key markets, many other destinations continued to post strong growth, opening up room for this convenience-oriented processed segment in the coming quarters.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Favorable weather conditions in the early months of 2026 have brought encouraging signs for fisheries activities in Quang Tri. Output has grown steadily, contributing to improved livelihoods for local residents.
Entering 2026, Vietnam’s seafood industry is facing a period of both high expectations and mounting pressures. Following the positive recovery in 2025, production and export activities in Q1/2026 demonstrated the strong adaptability of Vietnam’s seafood business community amid continued global trade volatility, intensifying international competition, and increasingly stringent compliance requirements in import markets.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first quarter of 2026, Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached USD 1.069 billion, up 17.5% compared to the same period in 2025. This is a positive result amid an uneven global shrimp market recovery, intensifying competition among major suppliers, and continued volatility in the international trade environment. However, this growth does not reflect a broad-based recovery across the entire sector, but rather is driven mainly by strong performance in a few markets and specific product segments—most notably lobster exports to China.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tuna exports continued to decline in March 2026. Cumulatively, in the first three months of the year, export value reached USD 208 million, down 4% compared to the same period in 2025. The export landscape shows clear divergence across markets: while the U.S. and EU remain challenging, markets such as Russia, the Middle East, Egypt, the Philippines, and Mexico have emerged as growth bright spots.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In Quang Ngai Province, shrimp farming costs are rising sharply due to लगातार increases in feed, fuel, and input material prices, while farm-gate shrimp prices are declining. This has significantly reduced farmers’ profit margins and increased production risks.
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
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