Since the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA) came into effect, shrimp and pangasius fish have dominated Vietnam’s seafood exports to the UK, accounting for 90% of the total export value, with shrimp leading the way.
The UKVFTA has emerged as a critical trade pact, unlocking opportunities for Vietnamese seafood to penetrate the UK market.
Effective from early 2021, the agreement has driven robust export growth through strategic and proactive market engagement.
Nguyen Hoai Nam, Secretary-General of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), stated that UKVFTA has provided significant advantages for Vietnam’s seafood sector.
Key products, such as shrimp and pangasius, benefit from a 0% import tax, substantially easing their entry into the UK market.
Shrimp and pangasius currently represent 90% of Vietnam’s seafood export value to the UK, with shrimp contributing the lion’s share.
This impressive performance underscores the strong demand for these products in the UK.
The removal of tariff barriers has enhanced competitiveness and opened significant market share opportunities for Vietnamese businesses.
Challenges and solutions
To maximize the benefits of UKVFTA, Vietnamese seafood enterprises must improve their readiness, including securing raw materials, enhancing product quality, and strengthening supply chain capabilities.
Nam highlighted the importance of staying informed about market updates, food safety regulations, traceability, and social responsibilities.
While no longer part of the EU, the UK maintains strict quality and food safety standards similar to those of the bloc, requiring Vietnamese producers to adhere to longstanding production and processing standards.
VASEP has actively supported enterprises by updating regulations such as IUU (Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated fishing controls) and providing market insights through its online platforms.
Collaboration with UK organizations like Seafish has further enabled Vietnamese businesses to track consumer trends and align products with UK market demands.
Administrative reform and legislative adjustments are equally vital.
VASEP emphasized that while trade agreements like UKVFTA offer advantages, businesses need macroeconomic policy support to optimize these benefits.
Vu Viet Thanh from the European-American Market Department (Ministry of Industry and Trade) echoed this sentiment, urging companies to leverage transparent data systems like the UK government’s trade databases to better understand the market.
Thanh also advised seafood exporters to ensure traceability, maintain rigorous food safety standards, and adopt advanced technology in production and processing to boost competitiveness.
Careful vetting of international partners and contract details is also essential for sustainable growth and minimizing risks in cross-border trade.
The UKVFTA has laid a solid foundation for Vietnam’s seafood industry in the UK market.
While the agreement offers unique opportunities, turning potential into success requires businesses to adopt intelligent market strategies and prepare for intense global competition.
Source: Vietnamnet
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Speaking at the Opening Ceremony of VIETFISH 2026 on August 19 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), U.S. Consul General Melissa Brown highlighted the important role of the exhibition in connecting Vietnam’s growing seafood industry with buyers, suppliers, and partners from the United States and around the world.
(vasep.com.vn) Tomorrow, August 19, 2026, the Vietnam International Seafood Exhibition – Vietfish 2026 will officially open at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) in Ho Chi Minh City. Taking place over three days, from August 19–21, Vietfish 2026 promises to provide a dynamic platform for business networking, trend updates, product experiences and comprehensive cooperation across the domestic and international seafood community.
(vasep.com.vn) The global tilapia market continues to grow, creating significant opportunities for countries with strengths in aquaculture, processing, and exports. Against this backdrop, Vietnam’s tilapia industry is gradually developing toward higher quality, greater product diversification, and broader market reach. At Vietfish 2026, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), together with the VASEP Tilapia Producers and Exporters Club, will host a joint booth to promote the image and potential of Vietnamese tilapia to domestic and international buyers.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports are heading towards $12 billion this year, potentially the highest level on record. Yet one of the country’s export strengths is facing a growing list of challenges.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The first six months of 2026 indicate that Vietnam’s tilapia industry is entering a new phase of development, with strong export growth but also greater demands for production scale, quality and international competitiveness.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietfish 2026, the Vietnam International Seafood Exhibition, will officially take place from 19–21 August 2026 in Ho Chi Minh City. As Vietnam’s largest annual seafood trade event, organized by the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), Vietfish 2026 will once again bring together leading seafood companies, industry experts, and international partners from across the global seafood value chain.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached USD 1.1 billion in July 2026, up 4.8% compared to the same period in 2025. Cumulative exports in the first seven months of the year totaled nearly USD 6.86 billion, an increase of 11.5% year-on-year. Exceeding the USD 1 billion mark in July further reinforces the prospect that Vietnam’s seafood exports could surpass USD 12 billion in 2026. However, the July figures also send a clear signal that the most favorable growth period may have passed: overall export growth slowed to just 4.8%, pangasius exports fell 6.1%, tuna exports were virtually flat, while exports to the EU, South Korea, and the Middle East all recorded double-digit declines.
(vasep.com.vn) As part of the Vietnam Fisheries International Exhibition (Vietfish 2026), the seminar "Global Seafood Market and the Future Workforce: Trends, Opportunities, and Sustainable Development Pathways for Vietnam's Seafood Industry" will take place from 2:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. on August 19, 2026, at Convention Room B, Level 2, SECC, Ho Chi Minh City. This is the first of five specialized seminars at Vietfish 2026, focusing on key issues that are shaping the long-term development of Vietnam's seafood industry.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnamese seafood exports recorded impressive growth, generating nearly 6 billion USD in revenue during the first six months of the year, up 13% compared with the same period last year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Fishermen in Ha Tinh are gradually overcoming difficulties to maintain the efficiency of seafood exploitation. In the first six months of 2026, the entire province achieved a production of more than 23,000 tons of seafood, worth more than 1,200 billion VND.
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
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