In the export product structure, shrimp continued to play the leading role with more than USD 3.9 billion in the 10-month period. Besides the stable growth of vannamei and black tiger shrimp, the highlight of this year was lobster – a product with a rare breakout, reaching over USD 712 million, up 134%. This boom stemmed from surging demand in China and Hong Kong for live and premium shrimp, especially in the HORECA segment.
Pangasius – the second major product – recorded an export value of about USD 1.8 billion after 10 months. Notably, tilapia became a new bright spot with an impressive growth of 220% to USD 62 million and is being shaped as a potential strategic product for Vietnam, with increasing demand in the US and several European countries.
Meanwhile, tuna continued to face heavy pressure. Ten-month exports remained around USD 791 million, nearly 4% lower year-on-year due to shortages of skipjack for canned processing and ongoing supply chain disruptions caused by conflicts in the Middle East. Some exporters had to scale down production or shift to loin products to reduce costs. In contrast, the squid and octopus group showed clear recovery, bringing total 10-month export value above USD 627 million; demand in Japan, South Korea and the US improved significantly, particularly for frozen products for processing. Fish cakes and surimi also drew attention, reaching USD 291 million in 10 months – up 24% year-on-year, becoming one of the fastest-growing product groups in the sector.
In terms of markets, China and Hong Kong continued to serve as an “important anchor” for Vietnam’s seafood industry in 2025. As of the end of October, exports to this market exceeded USD 2 billion, up more than 32%, particularly strong in lobster, marine fish and live crab. The rising year-end demand for live seafood is opening significant growth opportunities for Vietnamese exporters.
In contrast, the US market entered a period of high volatility. Although 10-month exports to the US still increased year-on-year, reaching around USD 1.66 billion, a clear downward trend appeared from the third quarter due to the 20% countervailing tax applied from August. Key products such as shrimp and pangasius – which account for a large share – both declined in September and October as many exporters proactively adjusted shipment volumes to avoid losses. In addition, other challenges such as anti-dumping duties on shrimp and MMPA regulations – expected to directly affect wild-caught seafood from early 2026 – have turned the US into a “risk hotspot” for the industry.
Exports to Japan continued to recover steadily, with a 10-month value of nearly USD 1.45 billion, supported by strong consumption of shrimp, squid, marine fish and pasteurized crab. The EU was also a strong-growing market, reaching USD 985 million in 10 months, benefiting from the bloc’s relaxation of certain technical barriers for Vietnam’s farmed seafood. Meanwhile, exports to South Korea maintained double-digit growth, reaching USD 725 million thanks to high demand for squid, octopus and surimi.
CPTPP markets – especially Canada, Australia and Japan – remained the fastest-growing region, showing Vietnam’s strong advantages in utilizing tariff preferences.
There will still be many challenges in 2026, particularly the prolonged US countervailing tax, the potential impact of MMPA, the likelihood that the EU will maintain the IUU yellow card, and increasing competitive pressure from India, Ecuador and Indonesia. This requires Vietnamese exporters to proactively restructure markets, strongly develop value-added products, invest in processing technology and enhance sustainability standards to maintain long-term growth.
(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.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Brazil became the largest market for Vietnamese tilapia, with export value reaching US$44 million, up 22,142% year-on-year and accounting for 49% of Vietnam’s total tilapia exports. In August alone, exports to Brazil reached US$4 million. However, behind this remarkable growth is a market that is imposing increasingly stringent requirements on imported supplies.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tuna exports sustained their upward trajectory in August 2026, though the pace remained modest at just 2%. The month saw divergent trends across key markets: the US maintained its leading position, Japan and Canada improved, Russia surged and the EU continued to experience a steep downturn. These developments suggest that exporters are entering the final months of the year amid a market environment marked by greater uncertainty.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Congalsa has acquired the entire charter capital of Lenger Seafood Vietnam, giving it full ownership of the business and its Nam Dinh processing facility.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Ninh Binh Province is entering a peak period of action against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, focusing on thoroughly addressing violations, closely monitoring fishing vessels at ports and preventing vessels from violating regulations and operating illegally in foreign waters ahead of the European Commission’s (EC) upcoming inspection in 2026.
(vasep.com.vn) The application of biotechnology in seed production is increasingly viewed as a strategic imperative to upgrade pangasius fingerling quality, optimize farming efficiency and anchor sustainable industry development.
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