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) Vietnam’s shrimp exports in the first four months of 2026 maintained positive growth momentum, reaching approximately USD 1.5 billion, up 15% compared to the same period last year. However, behind this result lies diverging trends across markets, as the global shrimp industry continues to face pressure from inflation, high inventories, price competition, and increasing trade risks.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In Vinh Tuy commune (Kien Giang Province), many shrimp farmers are adopting bottom aeration systems and reporting clear economic benefits, helping increase income and reduce production risks.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first three months of 2026, Vietnam’s exports of crabs and other crustaceans reached more than USD 93 million, up 23% compared to the same period last year. The result shows that the sector is experiencing a fairly positive recovery, especially in its two key product groups: crabs and swimming crabs. However, behind the growth figures are several concerns: export markets remain highly concentrated, raw material supply is unstable, and trade barriers from the US and EU are becoming increasingly stringent.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In Ca Mau province, many farmers are transitioning from traditional methods to high-tech shrimp farming, adopting recirculating systems with minimal water exchange to improve efficiency and reduce risks. In Hung My commune alone, there are about 260 super-intensive shrimp farming households covering more than 265 hectares, playing a key role in local economic development.
(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.
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