In terms of product structure, whiteleg shrimp continued to dominate with over 64% market share; black tiger shrimp recorded slight growth, while the “other shrimp” category stood out with triple-digit growth, driven by strong demand for lobsters.
Domestic raw shrimp prices remained high compared to competing suppliers, despite a slight adjustment in early September, reflecting that supply is still relatively tight.
China and Hong Kong markets continued to shine with a 62% growth in August, bringing the 8-month export value to USD 836 million, up 75% and accounting for nearly 30% of the country’s total shrimp exports. Demand focused on live products and premium segments such as lobsters and large black tiger shrimp, helping Vietnamese companies leverage unique advantages over Ecuador and India. However, rising import inventories in China and falling local selling prices indicate potential short-term adjustments.
In the US market, shrimp exports in August reached USD 92.6 million, slightly up 1.4% year-on-year, lifting the 8-month value to nearly USD 500 million. This reaffirms the US as a key destination for Vietnamese shrimp, though evolving trade policies pose significant challenges. The preliminary results of POR19 imposed much higher anti-dumping duties than before, along with countervailing and compensatory duties, which may considerably impact competitiveness. The shrimp industry, associations, and authorities are actively working to safeguard legitimate interests. While awaiting the final ruling, exporters are advised to exercise caution in signing new contracts and proactively diversify markets to ease dependency pressures.
The EU market also sustained positive momentum, with exports in August reaching USD 66.9 million, up 19% year-on-year. Cumulatively, exports to the EU hit nearly USD 376 million, up 17%. Germany, Belgium, and France remained the key drivers, while the Netherlands primarily served as a transit hub. With annual demand forecast to hit record levels, the EU remains a crucial market for Vietnamese shrimp, especially for deeply processed products with sustainability, transparency, and traceability certifications.
The CPTPP bloc posted a strong performance, with August exports exceeding USD 130 million, up 40%. Over the first 8 months, exports to CPTPP markets reached USD 829 million, up 36%. Japan and Australia were the main growth engines, driven by stable demand for convenient, high-quality products.
In addition, markets such as South Korea and Taiwan maintained double-digit growth during the 8-month period, while Russia and Canada showed signs of stagnation.
Looking ahead, China and the EU are expected to sustain robust growth in the remaining months of the year, while the US requires close monitoring due to tariff developments. Despite uncertainties, growth opportunities remain, supported by improving global demand, particularly during the year-end peak season.
In this diversified market landscape, Vietnamese shrimp exporters need greater flexibility in strategy. Instead of over-relying on a single destination, they should actively tap into CPTPP, EU, and China simultaneously to balance risks. At the same time, upgrading products toward value-added lines, coupled with certifications such as ASC, organic, and sustainability, will help enhance competitiveness in segments less vulnerable to price pressures. Strengthening linkages with farming areas to stabilize supply, control quality, and manage costs will also be key success factors.
(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.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports are experiencing impressive growth, reflecting expanding global demand as well as the sector’s development potential. However, behind the strong growth figures lie limitations in production capacity and supply chains, highlighting the need for sustainable development in the coming period.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East in 2025 and early 2026 have shown notable growth. However, escalating geopolitical tensions in the region have increasingly impacted export activities since March. This situation presents a challenge of balancing market expansion opportunities with rising trade risks.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The Quang Tri Department of Agriculture and Environment has instructed localities to base their stocking schedules on actual conditions in each farming area, while developing plans, allocating resources, and implementing synchronized measures for disease prevention and disaster risk management in aquaculture production.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first two months of 2026, Vietnam’s exports of fish cakes and surimi exceeded USD 45 million, up 7% compared to the same period in 2025, indicating a positive outlook for this product segment amid recovering demand in many markets.
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