Vietnam’s seafood sector thrives under UKVFTA with 90% exports led by shrimp

News 08:30 03/01/2025 Bảo Ngọc
The UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement has significantly boosted Vietnamese seafood exports, with shrimp and pangasius leading the charge in the UK market.

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

TIN MỚI CẬP NHẬT

VSS2026: The US$1.7 billion gap and Vietnam’s seafood growth challenge towards 2029

 |  17:41 10/11/2026

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Nearly US$1.7 billion is the projected gap in 2029 between the baseline scenario and a scenario in which Vietnam’s seafood exports grow by 10% annually, according to calculations by VASEP to be presented at Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026. This gap raises a key question for the entire industry: Which markets, products and supply chain improvements will generate the additional growth?

Vietnamese tuna bucks the import trend in Germany

 |  08:46 07/11/2026

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Although Germany’s tuna imports have declined, Vietnam’s tuna exports to the market continue to show positive signs. Notably, export value recovered strongly in Q3/2026, and German import data also show Vietnamese products strengthening their position amid competition among suppliers.

VSS2026: Seafood exports top USD 10.4 billion in 10 months – how should seafood businesses prepare for 2027?

 |  08:26 05/11/2026

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood exports are holding double-digit growth, but the opportunities are not spread evenly across product groups and markets. As businesses draw up their plans for 2027, Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS2026) offers a chance to look ahead together: what to sell, where to sell it, and how to prepare for growth in the coming years.

Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026: From market forecasts to answers for 2027–2029 growth

 |  17:17 31/10/2026

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) With less than two weeks to go, the Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026) will officially take place in Can Tho. Under the theme “Seafood Market Outlook 2027–2029 – Opportunities and Potential for Double-Digit Export Growth,” the Summit is organized by VASEP at a time when seafood businesses are facing rapid market shifts, changing buyer demand, trade policy changes and growing competitive pressure all at once.

Vietnamese seafood affirms its position at the China Fisheries & Seafood Expo 2026

 |  12:42 29/10/2026

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On October 28, 2026, the China Fisheries & Seafood Expo opened in Qingdao, China. The expo takes place over three days from October 28 to 30, 2026. This is a prestigious specialized seafood exhibition organized annually by Sea Fare Exposition Inc.

Vietnam’s tilapia exports to CPTPP grow strongly but remain small in scale

 |  08:09 28/10/2026

(vasep.com.vn) In the first nine months of 2026, Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the CPTPP bloc reached $7 million, marking a 51% year-on-year increase. The bloc rstands as the fourth-largest market for Vietnamese tilapia, trailing Brazil, the US, and Saudi Arabia.

Five key questions facing the seafood industry to be discussed at Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026

 |  14:58 22/10/2026

(vasep.com.vn) VASEP has officially announced the program for Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026), featuring five in-depth sessions covering industry outlooks, trade barriers, buyer demand, the domestic market, and solutions to improve productivity and reduce costs across the seafood value chain.

Vietnam’s shrimp exports face market volatility at year-end

 |  16:43 21/10/2026

(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached US$3.7 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 11% year on year. Although growth has been supported by China and several markets within the CPTPP, momentum is slowing as exports to the United States and the European Union decline. Tariff pressures, international competition, and raw material challenges are creating significant hurdles for exporters in the final months of the year.

Vietnam’s seafood industry in 2027–2029: Where will new growth opportunities come from?

 |  14:56 19/10/2026

(vasep.com.vn) Markets are changing faster, buyer requirements are becoming more demanding, and trade barriers are growing increasingly complex. In this environment, seafood businesses need more than an understanding of current market conditions. They need a longer-term perspective to answer a critical question: Where will growth opportunities come from in 2027–2029, and what should businesses do now to prepare? This is one of the key reasons why VASEP is organizing Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026.

Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the middle east recover, but growth remains uneven

 |  16:04 15/10/2026

(vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East reached US$113 million, up 7% year on year from the same period in 2025. Growth has become more pronounced in recent months. In August alone, exports to the region totaled US$20 million, an increase of 24%. This indicates that demand for Vietnamese pangasius in the Middle East is gradually recovering after a slowdown in March, although the pace of recovery varies across markets.

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

© Copyright 2020 - Mọi hình thức sao chép phải được sự chấp thuận bằng văn bản của VASEP

DANH MỤC