Brazil continues to grow while the U.S. shows no signs of recovery
Brazil remained Vietnam’s largest tilapia import market. In May 2026, exports to Brazil reached USD 8 million. During the first five months of the year, export value totaled USD 34 million, accounting for more than half of Vietnam’s total tilapia export turnover. This performance reaffirms Brazil’s pivotal role in driving the industry’s overall growth.
Meanwhile, the United States, Vietnam’s second-largest market, continued to experience a downward trend. Tilapia exports to the U.S. reached USD 4 million in May 2026, down 53% year-on-year. For the first five months, exports totaled USD 14 million, a decline of 23% compared with the same period last year. This decrease reflects ongoing challenges in the U.S. seafood market as well as intensifying competition from other suppliers.
Saudi Arabia, the Dominican Republic, and emerging markets gain momentum
In the Middle East, Saudi Arabia showed mixed performance. Export value in May reached USD 332,000, down 74% year-on-year. However, cumulative exports during the first five months still amounted to USD 3 million, up 87%, indicating that import demand in this market continues to expand over the medium term.
The Dominican Republic maintained a strong growth trajectory. Exports in May reached USD 393,000, up 37% compared with the same period last year. For the first five months of 2026, export value totaled USD 2 million, a significant increase of 147%, making it one of the fastest-growing markets for Vietnamese tilapia.
Canada and Australia recorded the most impressive growth rates among Vietnam’s tilapia export destinations during the first five months of 2026. Exports to Canada surged 236%, while shipments to Australia increased 123% year-on-year. Although export volumes remain relatively modest, these results demonstrate considerable potential for expanding Vietnam’s market share in developed markets beyond its traditional destinations.
Protectionist measures in Brazil pose challenges
Despite strong export growth, Vietnam’s tilapia industry still faces significant challenges. Brazil—the sector’s largest market—is increasingly implementing protectionist measures on imported products. Several states have either introduced or proposed higher ICMS taxes on imported tilapia, while the state of Pernambuco has enacted temporary restrictions on the commercialization of imported tilapia in various forms. At the same time, Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies is considering legislation that would ban tilapia imports in an effort to protect domestic producers.
As the U.S. market continues to weaken and policy risks in Brazil increase, Vietnamese tilapia exporters need to proactively diversify their markets and further develop opportunities in promising destinations such as Canada, Australia, the Middle East, and the European Union. In addition, investment in value-added products and enhanced competitiveness will be critical for sustaining the industry’s growth momentum in the coming years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietfish 2026, the Vietnam International Seafood Exhibition, will officially take place from 19–21 August 2026 in Ho Chi Minh City. As Vietnam’s largest annual seafood trade event, organized by the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), Vietfish 2026 will once again bring together leading seafood companies, industry experts, and international partners from across the global seafood value chain.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached USD 1.1 billion in July 2026, up 4.8% compared to the same period in 2025. Cumulative exports in the first seven months of the year totaled nearly USD 6.86 billion, an increase of 11.5% year-on-year. Exceeding the USD 1 billion mark in July further reinforces the prospect that Vietnam’s seafood exports could surpass USD 12 billion in 2026. However, the July figures also send a clear signal that the most favorable growth period may have passed: overall export growth slowed to just 4.8%, pangasius exports fell 6.1%, tuna exports were virtually flat, while exports to the EU, South Korea, and the Middle East all recorded double-digit declines.
(vasep.com.vn) As part of the Vietnam Fisheries International Exhibition (Vietfish 2026), the seminar "Global Seafood Market and the Future Workforce: Trends, Opportunities, and Sustainable Development Pathways for Vietnam's Seafood Industry" will take place from 2:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. on August 19, 2026, at Convention Room B, Level 2, SECC, Ho Chi Minh City. This is the first of five specialized seminars at Vietfish 2026, focusing on key issues that are shaping the long-term development of Vietnam's seafood industry.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnamese seafood exports recorded impressive growth, generating nearly 6 billion USD in revenue during the first six months of the year, up 13% compared with the same period last year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Fishermen in Ha Tinh are gradually overcoming difficulties to maintain the efficiency of seafood exploitation. In the first six months of 2026, the entire province achieved a production of more than 23,000 tons of seafood, worth more than 1,200 billion VND.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) June 2026 brought encouraging signs for Vietnam's tuna exports, with export value rising 20% year-on-year to nearly USD 72 million. However, this increase has yet to offset the prolonged slowdown seen in key markets such as the European Union (EU), where import demand remains weak. The outlook for the second half of the year is expected to become more challenging as freight rates continue to climb.
(vasep.com.vn) As part of the Vietnam Fisheries International Exhibition (Vietfish 2026), the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), in collaboration with the Agency for Domestic Market Management and Development under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, will organize the Domestic Seafood Supply–Demand Matching Program on the morning of August 20, 2026, at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), Ho Chi Minh City. The program aims to foster direct business connections between Vietnamese seafood producers and processors and domestic distributors, retailers, and foodservice channels.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The Cooking Show will be one of the most engaging experiential highlights of Vietfish 2026. Taking place over three days, from August 19–21, 2026, at Hall B1, SECC, Ho Chi Minh City, the event will offer visitors a vibrant culinary space where Vietnamese seafood is showcased through its flavors, stories, and real-life culinary applications.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam's pangasius exports reached USD 205 million in June 2026, up 5% compared with the same month in 2025. Cumulative export value for the first six months of the year totaled USD 1.1 billion, an increase of 12% year-on-year. Growth was primarily driven by strong demand from China and CPTPP markets, while exports to the United States and Brazil continued to decline.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first six months of 2026, Ha Tinh province continued to implement comprehensive solutions to combat IUU fishing; strictly manage the fishing fleet, control fishing vessels entering and leaving ports, operate vessel tracking devices, trace the origin of seafood, and severely punish violations.
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