In the same period, red tilapia exports reached USD 11 million, down 1% year-on-year, with the US market making up 25% of the share. Tilapia exports (excluding red tilapia) reached USD 52 million, a sharp increase of 359% from last year, of which 70% was shipped to the US.
According to the International Trade Center (ITC), the US is the world’s largest tilapia consumer, while China is the biggest supplier to both the US and the global market. As of July 2025, tilapia has become the most consumed whitefish in the US, surpassing cod and pangasius. Frozen tilapia fillets (HS code 030461) are the top product consumed by US buyers.
In the first 7 months of this year, the US imported more than USD 1.1 billion worth of whitefish, up 8% year-on-year. Of this, frozen tilapia fillets (HS code 030461) alone accounted for USD 262 million, up 19% from the same period of 2024, making up 23% of the US’s total whitefish imports. Vietnam is currently the second-largest supplier of frozen tilapia fillets to the US, after China. This reflects the strong demand and growth potential for tilapia products.
Although Vietnam faces challenges in competing directly with major suppliers such as China, Indonesia, Egypt, and Brazil to become a key global source of tilapia, many Vietnamese enterprises, alongside pangasius, have recently started farming and producing tilapia for export.
The top five exporters of tilapia in the first 8 months of 2025 include: INDIAN OCEAN CO.,LTD, V FINANCIAL AND INVESTMENT MTV LIMITED COMPANY, NAMVIET JOINT - STOCK COMPANY, KIM PHAT SEAFOOD IMPORT EXPORT CO.,LTD, NVD SEAFOOD CO.,LTD
(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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