US remains the key market but shows slower growth
During the first nine months of 2025, crab exports to the United States reached over USD 46 million, accounting for nearly 81% of total export value, up 5% year-on-year. However, compared to the double-digit growth recorded last year, this slower pace reflects weaker consumption in the US due to high prices, rising logistics costs, and ample supply from Indonesia and the Philippines.
Despite this slowdown, the US remains a strategic market, especially for cooked crab meat and canned swimming crab, which continue to be popular in the restaurant and retail sectors.
EU and CPTPP emerge as new growth drivers
A highlight of Vietnam’s swimming crab exports in 2025 is the strong recovery in the EU and CPTPP markets. Exports to the EU exceeded USD 2 million, up 161% compared to the same period last year; notably, France more than doubled (+208%), becoming Vietnam’s largest EU importer of swimming crab.
Exports to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) markets also rose by 28%, with the UK and Australia showing encouraging growth. Particularly, exports to Australia surged 280% in September 2025, reflecting robust demand for convenience processed crab and high-quality frozen products.
Asian markets experience sharp fluctuations
In contrast to the positive trends in Europe, exports to China and Hong Kong fell sharply by 55% and 7%, respectively, over the same period. The decline was mainly due to weak consumer demand and stricter quarantine measures, as domestic Chinese supply from wild catches increased.
South Korea also recorded a 17% drop, driven by changes in consumption patterns—more focus on diet trends and substitution with cheaper local seafood or shrimp and fish products.
Global swimming crab market trends in 2025
In 2025, the global crab market has seen persistently high prices due to limited natural catches and rising logistics costs, while demand in the US, Japan, and China remains strong.
Key crab species such as snow crab, king crab, and blue swimming crab—Vietnam’s main export types—are expected to maintain or slightly increase in price in Q4/2025.
Importers are increasingly emphasizing traceability, sustainability certifications (e.g. MSC, FIP), and value-added processing, trends that many Vietnamese exporters are now adapting to meet.
Outlook for late 2025–2026: Focus on value-added products
With a stable recovery base, Vietnam’s swimming crab exports are expected to maintain mild growth in the final months of 2025, driven by seasonal demand during the holiday period in the US and Europe.
For 2026, growth is projected at 3–5%, provided that exporters continue to diversify products and markets. However, US trade policy adjustments may pose challenges and cause fluctuations in export orders.
To seize these opportunities, Vietnamese exporters should: Invest in value-added products such as packaged cooked swimming crab meat, canned swimming crab, and swimming crab-based surimi; Strengthen sustainability certifications (MSC, FIP) to access EU and Japanese markets; Diversify export destinations to reduce dependence on the US market.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The year 2025 marked a pivotal milestone for Vietnam’s seafood industry in its restructuring process toward sustainability, transparency, and higher value creation, amid continued uncertainties in the global economic and trade environment. Prolonged inflation in major economies, the rising trend of trade protectionism, and increasingly stringent requirements related to environmental standards, traceability, and social responsibility have posed significant challenges to seafood production and exports. Nevertheless, overcoming these pressures, Vietnam’s seafood sector has gradually demonstrated its adaptability, maintained growth momentum, and laid an important foundation for the next stage of development.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Amid the increasingly evident impacts of drought and saltwater intrusion, the shrimp-rice production model in Ca Mau province continues to prove itself as a viable direction, contributing to higher farmer incomes, improved soil conditions and the promotion of ecological and sustainable agricultural development.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The management of fishing vessels, monitoring of fishing activities, and handling of violations in the fisheries sector in Lam Dong province have continued to be implemented in a synchronized and stringent manner, contributing to raising awareness of legal compliance among fishermen and aiming to end illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Can Tho’s fishery industry sustained steady growth in 2025 with total aquatic and marine output reaching nearly 783,000 tons, fulfilling 100% of the annual target. Aquaculture, capture fisheries and fishing fleet management were further strengthened, aiming for sustainable development in the coming years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s pangasius export turnover reached nearly USD 2.2 billion, up 8% year-on-year. This result indicates that pangasius exports maintained their growth momentum despite significant volatility in the global market environment. In December 2025, pangasius export value reached USD 200 million, up 10% compared to December 2024. This solid performance in the final month of the year reflects increased import demand for consumption and inventory replenishment in key markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Spain experienced significant fluctuations. According to Vietnam Customs, during the first 11 months of 2025, export turnover for the first 11 months of the year edged up by 0.3% year-on-year, reaching nearly $15 million.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son has signed Decision No. 16/QD-TTg, dated January 5, 2026, approving the implementation plan for the Vietnam-Israel Free Trade Agreement (VIFTA). Under the plan, in the coming period, ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-affiliated entities and People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities must institutionalize and execute tasks focused on the dissemination of information regarding VIFTA and the Israeli market; legislative and institutional development, as well as enhancing competitiveness and human resource growth...
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Beyond achieving double-digit growth, Vietnam’s fish cake and surimi exports are showing a notable year-end "inflection point": the EU his accelerating with nearly twofold growth, China & Hong Kong are rising sharply, while the largest market, South Korea, signaled a slowdown in November. According to Vietnam Customs data, export turnover of fish cake and surimi reached $327 million in the first 11 months of 2025, up 22% year-on-year; November 2025 alone accounted for $35 million, marking a 5% increase. This serves as a critical foundation for exporters to reassess market structures and competitive intensity while finalizing order strategies for 2026.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Ca Mau, widely regarded as the nation’s “shrimp capital”, continued its strong performance in 2025 as shrimp output reached nearly 600,000 tons, maintaining its position as Vietnam’s leading shrimp-producing locality.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On December 29, 2025, at the 2025 Pangasius Industry Review Conference held in Can Tho City, the Vietnam Pangasius Association announced that fingerling prices have surged to record levels due to acute supply shortages.
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