China surges, the US declines, and Brazil makes a strong breakthrough
China emained Vietnam’s largest pangasius export market. In the first nine months, exports to China reached US$480 million, up 28% year on year. September exports totaled US$63 million, an increase of 25%.
The US remained the second-largest market, but exports fell 13% in the first nine months to US$225 million. In September, exports to the US reached US$21 million, down 8% year on year. The decline was narrower than the average recorded over the first nine months.
Brazil ranked third, with exports reaching US$144 million in the first nine months, up 15%. September exports to Brazil totaled US$20 million, surging 98% year on year, nearly doubling the value recorded in September 2025.
CPTPP markets: UK exports surge in September
Vietnam’s pangasius exports to CPTPP markets reached US$295 million in the first nine months, up 11% and accounting for 17% of total export value. In September, exports to the bloc totaled US$31 million, an increase of 6% year on year.
Within the bloc, the UK stood out as a bright spot. September exports to the UK reached US$7 million, up 95% year on year, while cumulative exports for the first nine months totaled US$57 million, an increase of 28%.
Japan also recorded solid growth. Exports to Japan reached US$5 million in September, up 15%, bringing the nine-month total to US$41 million, an increase of 20%.
By contrast, exports to Mexico fell 18% to US$5 million in September, although cumulative exports for the first nine months still rose 5% to US$57 million.
EU market: double-digit growth
Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the EU reached US$148 million in the first nine months, up 12% year on year. In September, export value to the bloc totaled US$18 million, an increase of 27%.
The Netherlands, one of the EU markets among Vietnam’s ten largest pangasius export destinations, recorded US$36 million in imports from Vietnam during the first nine months, up 2%. However, September exports to the Dutch market fell 11% year on year to US$3 million.
Product structure
In the first nine months of 2026, pangasius products classified under HS Chapter 03 generated US$1.7 billion, accounting for 98% of total export value and increasing 11% year on year.
Frozen pangasius fillets under HS code 0304 reached US$1.4 billion, up 13%. Meanwhile, frozen or dried pangasius products cut into pieces, as well as whole fish classified under HS Chapter 03 excluding HS 0304, totaled US$275 million, representing growth of just 1.4%.
Value-added pangasius products under HS Chapter 16 generated US$33 million, accounting for 2% of total export value, down 13% year on year.
Pangasius export outlook for the rest of 2026
Stable supply is essential amid tight whitefish availability. Global whitefish supplies remain tight, creating an opportunity for pangasius to gain market share as an affordable alternative. To capitalize on this opportunity, exporters need to secure a stable supply of raw materials in terms of volume, quality, and price. This will help them honor delivery commitments to importers, particularly in the fourth quarter, when buyers typically prepare inventories for the year-end holiday season.
The US market faces additional pressure from the POR21 results. The anti-dumping duty rates for companies subject to the review increased significantly compared with the preliminary results announced in February 2026. This development could raise the cost of accessing the US market and continue to put pressure on exports during the final months of the year, following a 13% decline in shipments to the market during the first nine months.
Exporters need to diversify their markets. China, the US, and Brazil currently account for approximately 49% of Vietnam’s total pangasius export value, while China alone represented nearly 30% of total export value in September. This concentration leaves exports vulnerable to changes in trade policies or demand in any major market.
Alongside consolidating their positions in China and Brazil, exporters should step up efforts to develop growing markets such as the UK, Japan, the EU, and the Middle East. Product diversification will also be important in reducing dependence on any single market or product category.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius export value reached US$1.7 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 11% year on year. In September alone, exports totaled US$210 million, an increase of 16%. China, the United States, and Brazil were the three largest markets, accounting for 49% of total export value. While China and Brazil maintained their growth momentum, exports to the US remained below the level recorded in the same period last year.
(vasep.com.vn) On November 11, 2026, in Can Tho, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) will organize the Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026) under the theme “Seafood Market Outlook 2027–2029: Opportunities and Headroom for Double-Digit Export Growth.”
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Business leader Do Ngoc Tai, General Director of Tai Kim Anh Seafood Processing Joint Stock Company, was honored by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) with the title “Outstanding Vietnamese Entrepreneur – Thanh Giong Cup 2026” at a ceremony celebrating Vietnam Entrepreneurs’ Day (October 13). The event took place on the evening of October 11, 2026, at the National Convention Center in Hanoi.
(vasep.com.vn) The global tilapia market is becoming increasingly segmented, not only among producing countries but also by product type and destination market. Supply is divided into groups with distinct competitive advantages: large volumes of whole fish and frozen fillets from Asia, high-value fresh fillets from Latin America, and substantial domestic consumption in several major producing countries.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tuna exports to the UK grew in the first eight months of 2026, despite signs of slowing import demand in the market. However, sharp fluctuations in orders, competition from major suppliers, and new traceability requirements are creating challenges for Vietnamese exporters.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam is stepping up efforts to combat illegal fishing, protect marine ecosystems, expand digital monitoring, and develop science-based management to ensure the sea can support communities and the economy for generations to come.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The EU remains a critical market for Vietnamese shrimp; however, purchasing demand and import patterns are undergoing notable changes. According to Vietnam Customs data, as of September 15, 2026, Vietnam’s shrimp exports to the EU reached nearly $374 million, down 5% year-over-year and accounting for 10.7% of the country’s total shrimp export value. Meanwhile, the EU’s stotal shrimp imports through July 2026 contracted by 7% in volume, exhibiting divergent trends across Southern Europe, Northwestern Europe and Eastern Europe. These dynamics necessitate that Vietnamese enterprises closely monitor individualized market demand, rather than approaching the EU as a monolithic consumer block.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam’s exports of surimi and fish cakes remained relatively stable year-over-year compared to 2025. Following a contraction in the initial months, export performance demonstrated improvement from June onward, peaking in August. However, the recovery has been uneven, characterized by divergent trends across major markets: robust growth was recorded in China, Japan, Malaysia, the United States, and Taiwan, whereas export volumes to South Korea, Indonesia, and select European markets contracted.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Pangasius remains one of Dong Thap’s key aquaculture species, with the province focusing on developing an integrated value chain covering seed production, commercial farming, deep processing and by-product utilization. The province is promoting high-tech, circular pangasius farming models featuring reduced water exchange and enhanced biosecurity, aiming to improve production efficiency and strengthen control over raw material quality.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports in September 2026 are estimated at US$1.135 billion, up 11.9% year-on-year, bringing total exports in the first nine months of the year to US$9.103 billion, up 11.4%. Behind this double-digit growth, however, increasingly divergent market trends are emerging: China–Hong Kong and ASEAN posted strong growth, while the U.S., EU and Japan all recorded declines in September.
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