Diverging Import Trends Across Markets
The United States remained Vietnam’s largest import market for tilapia fillets in 2025. Export turnover to the U.S. reached USD 40 million, up 499% compared to 2024. This extraordinary growth reflects strong demand from the U.S. market amid supply constraints from competing producers such as the U.S. and China, which have faced challenges related to tariffs and rising production costs.
Notably, Brazil emerged as the fastest-growing market among Vietnam’s top tilapia fillet importers. In 2025, exports of tilapia fillets to Brazil reached USD 11 million, soaring by 7,552% compared to the previous year. This breakthrough underscores the significant potential of the South American market for Vietnam’s frozen tilapia fillets, particularly in segments serving domestic consumption and food processing industries.
In contrast to the upward trend in the U.S. and Brazil, exports to Russia and Mexico declined by 29% and 38%, respectively, in 2025. This reflects greater caution among importers in these markets amid economic fluctuations, higher logistics costs, and competition from domestic and regional suppliers.
In Asia, Taiwan and Japan maintained relatively stable imports. Exports to Taiwan reached USD 1.5 million, up 123%, while exports to Japan totaled USD 312,000, up slightly by 2% compared to 2024. In Europe, Italy recorded a 54% increase, with export value reaching over USD 601,000, indicating steady demand for tilapia fillets in this market.
Exports to Saudi Arabia and Puerto Rico in 2025 either recorded new export value or strong growth compared to the previous year, reflecting the expansion of Vietnam’s tilapia fillet exports into the Middle East and other niche markets. Meanwhile, although exports to Qatar declined slightly by 11%, the country remained among the top ten largest import markets.
Outlook for 2026
With strong growth momentum in 2025, particularly in the U.S. and Brazil, tilapia fillets are emerging as a promising export product alongside pangasius. Going forward, market diversification, improved processing quality, and compliance with safety and sustainability standards will be key factors enabling Vietnam’s tilapia sector to sustain growth and expand its international market share.
Alongside opportunities for market expansion, competition in the EU market is expected to intensify in the coming year, especially from Brazil. Brazil’s tilapia export industry is accelerating its strategy to penetrate the EU market in order to offset challenges and barriers in the U.S. market. With advantages in stable product quality, large-scale farming, and the ability to meet increasingly stringent EU technical, food safety, and traceability requirements, Brazilian tilapia is considered a direct competitor to Vietnamese tilapia in the region.
This situation requires Vietnamese enterprises to further enhance processing quality, strengthen supply chain control, and comply with sustainability standards in order to maintain and expand market share in the EU and other highly regulated markets in the years ahead.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In February 2026, Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached nearly USD 310 million, up 17% year-on-year. Cumulatively for the first two months of the year, shrimp export value totaled USD 690 million, an increase of 20% compared with the same period last year. Compared with the 22% growth recorded in January, the pace of increase in February slowed somewhat, reflecting seasonal factors as the Lunar New Year holiday partially disrupted processing and shipment activities. Nevertheless, the nearly 20% growth in the first two months indicates that shrimp orders from Vietnam are maintaining a more positive trend than in the same period last year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to the latest statistics for January 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius export value to major market blocs recorded encouraging growth compared with the same period last year, indicating that consumption demand is gradually recovering.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports in February 2026 reached approximately USD 707 million, up 8% compared to the same period last year. Cumulatively, exports in the first two months of 2026 totaled USD 1.7 billion, an increase of 20.2% year-on-year. The results show that the sector’s recovery momentum has remained relatively solid following strong growth in January, although the pace slowed noticeably in February for several key products and major markets. Within the overall picture, shrimp continues to be the largest pillar, pangasius rebounds strongly, while tuna exports and the U.S. and Korean markets are sending signals that warrant closer monitoring. In March, seafood exports are expected to gain additional momentum from markets other than the U.S., potentially supporting stronger growth.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first months of 2026, fishing activities in Quang Tri province recorded many positive signals, with output reaching over 15,941 tons. This result not only demonstrates fishermen’s efforts to stay offshore but also reflects the effectiveness of management and support measures implemented by local authorities.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first months of 2026, IUU prevention models focused on communication and mobilizing fishermen to comply with fisheries laws and avoid encroaching on foreign waters—related to combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing—have been implemented in coastal localities of Lam Dong province and have delivered initial positive results.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The sharp rise in raw pangasius prices to record levels is sending positive signals for the industry, but experts warn of potential supply–demand imbalances if production is not tightly controlled.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to statistics from Vietnam Customs, the country’s total canned tuna export value in 2025 reached over USD 275 million, down 8% compared to 2024. Vietnamese canned tuna products were present in approximately 80 markets worldwide. However, the 2025 picture shows clear divergence: the U.S. maintained stability, the EU declined sharply, while several Middle East–North Africa (MENA) markets accelerated.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s crab exports reached nearly USD 86 million, up almost 6% compared to 2024. A notable feature of 2025 was the strong market concentration in the United States, which accounted for more than 81% of Vietnam’s total crab export value, up 10% from the previous year. In contrast, exports to several Asian markets declined significantly, resulting in only modest overall growth for the year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s tilapia exports recorded impressive growth, with total export turnover reaching over USD 99 million, highlighting the increasingly important role of this product in the country’s seafood export structure. Of this total, tilapia fillets and other fish meat products accounted for USD 61 million, representing 61% of total export value and reaffirming their position as the key product category.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Shrimp seed quality is considered the “first link” and a decisive factor affecting the efficiency of the entire commercial shrimp production chain. High-quality seed directly influences survival rates, growth performance, and disease resistance, thereby determining production costs, productivity, and farmers’ profitability.
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