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
(vasep.com.vn) A circular economy does not create a “new type of shrimp” or a new certification. Its value lies in helping the shrimp value chain use resources more efficiently, stabilize production, generate additional value from by-products and build the data and evidence needed to meet increasingly stringent market requirements. This was the perspective shared by VASEP at the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Forum on Promoting a Circular Economy in the Shrimp Industry in the Mekong Delta, held in Can Tho on September 21.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports to CPTPP markets reached $264 million in the first eight months of 2026, up 12% year-on-year and accounting for 17% of the nation’s total pangasius export turnover. In August alone, export value reached $34 million, inching up 3%.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Golden pompano is being selected as a high-value species for the development of high-tech marine aquaculture in Lam Dong Province. In 2026, the provincial Agricultural Extension Center launched a golden pompano farming model using circular HDPE cages in Lien Huong Commune, opening opportunities to apply technology to marine farming at a scale suited to local coastal conditions.
(vasep.com.vn) The application of biotechnology in seed production is increasingly viewed as a strategic imperative to upgrade pangasius fingerling quality, optimize farming efficiency and anchor sustainable industry development.
(vasep.com.vn) On September 15, 2026, in Can Tho, VASEP and ASC jointly organized a training course titled “New ASC standards: updates and practical implementation guidance for farms, businesses and aquafeed mills”. Beyond briefing stakeholders on updated ASC requirements for aquaculture facilities and feed production, the workshop dedicated substantial floor time to directly addressing on-the-ground compliance bottlenecks encountered by Vietnamese enterprises.
(searfood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports continued to post positive results in the first eight months of 2026, with total export value reaching US$90 million, up 43% year-on-year. However, exports in August alone stood at US$11 million, down 8%, reflecting uneven market developments. Brazil remained the leading market, while Japan recorded notable growth, opening up new opportunities for Vietnamese tilapia products.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached US$3.3 billion in the first eight months of 2026, up 12% year on year. However, growth has begun to slow and become more differentiated across markets, while the U.S. and EU continue to present significant challenges. The latest insights from the Global Shrimp Forum 2026 (GSF 2026), held in early September, also indicate that the final months of the year will remain highly competitive as global supply continues to expand and buyers increasingly focus on quality, product specifications, supply stability and the ability to meet market-specific demand.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In August 2026, Vietnam’s seafood exports reached $1.14 billion, up 6% year on year. Cumulative eight-month exports rose 11.8% to $8.00 billion, though momentum has cooled compared to the 12.8% growth seen through July. China - Hong Kong and ASEAN are offsetting weakness in the U.S, EU and partly Japan. This divergence will likely widen in Q4 as trade tariffs and traceability requirements directly weigh on new orders.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam–Russia relations are entering a new phase of cooperation, with a focus on expanding trade, investment and economic connectivity. Against this backdrop, tuna is emerging as one of the seafood products with significant growth potential in the Russian market. Export data for the first seven months of 2026 show strong growth in Vietnamese tuna exports to Russia. However, turning this momentum into sustainable market share will require businesses to address challenges related to logistics, payment and supply competition.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnamese tilapia is moving into a higher-value segment as brackish-water farmed fish from the Mekong Delta is now being processed for sashimi and exported regularly to Japan.
VASEP - HIỆP HỘI CHẾ BIẾN VÀ XUẤT KHẨU THỦY SẢN VIỆT NAM
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