The US remains the key market
In August 2026, Vietnam’s tuna exports totaled nearly $90 million, up 2% year-on-year. The figure was broadly unchanged from July but market performance varied significantly across destinations.
The US remained the leading market with $35 million, up 23% year on year despite an 8% pullback from July. In the first eight months of the year, tuna exports to the US totaled $248 million, up 8%.
This growth has enabled the US to remain the most important driver of Vietnam’s tuna export sector. However, the final months of the year are likely to be more difficult to predict, as the additional 12.5% US tariff on Vietnamese goods began affecting new orders from late July. Importers will need to reassess purchasing prices, while Vietnamese exporters are also facing pressure to absorb part of the tariff costs in order to retain customers.
This will be a key test of Vietnamese tuna exporters’ ability to maintain orders in the US market. The full impact may not yet be reflected in August export figures due to the time lag between contract signing, ocean freight and customs clearance.
Russia remains a bright spot
While the US remains the cornerstone market, Russia is emerging as a notably fast-growing market. In the first eight months of the year, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Russia reached $38 million, surging 56% year-on-year - one of the steepest growth rates among Vietnam’s major tuna markets. However, exports to Russia declined slightly by 6% year on year in August.
Tuna exports to Japan reversed course in August, jumping 27% year on year to $5 million. In the first eight months of 2026, exports to Japan reached nearly $27 million, up 4%.
Shipments to Canada also increased 8% in August to $6 million, bringing total exports to the market in the first eight months to nearly $30 million, up 7% year-on-year.
Growth in these markets is not yet sufficient to replace the role of the US or EU, it provides exporters additional destinations to diversify market risks. Amid rapidly changing trade policies in major markets, this is an avenue worth watching.
The EU remains a bottleneck
Conversely, the EU continued to weigh on overall growth.
In August, Vietnam’s tuna exports to the EU reached only $14 million, down 16% year on year. Exports to several key markets in the bloc fell sharply, with the Netherlands down nearly 47% and Germany down 17%. In the first eight months, tuna exports to the EU totaled $118 million, down 17%.
Pressure in the EU stems not only from demand. Exporters are also facing increasingly stringent requirements on traceability, combating illegal, IUU fishing, and electronic catch certificates through the CATCH system. Meanwhile, Indonesia is edging closer to a free trade agreement with the EU, threatening to heighten competitive pressure on Vietnamese tuna in the medium term.
A 2% gain masks an uneven recovery
In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam’s tuna exports totaled nearly $634 million, up 2% year on year. While this represents a positive shift compared to the declines seen earlier in the year, it falls short of signaling a broad-based recovery.
Behind the headline figure lies a significant divergence across markets. Exports to the US rose 8%, Russia 56%, Canada 7% and Japan 4%, the EU retreated by 17% and Thailand slumped by nearly 30%. Exports to markets outside the top 10 destinations also dropped 14%.
This data indicates that current growth is heavily reliant on a small cluster of high-performing markets rather than a widespread rebound in global consumption.
After eight months, Vietnam’s tuna exports have moved out of negative territory. However, pressures are likely to remain significant through the end of the year. The 2.4% growth recorded in the first eight months is a positive signal. But to sustain growth in the final months of the year, Vietnamese tuna exporters will need a more balanced market structure, greater capacity to adapt quickly and, above all, less reliance on price advantages.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tuna exports sustained their upward trajectory in August 2026, though the pace remained modest at just 2%. The month saw divergent trends across key markets: the US maintained its leading position, Japan and Canada improved, Russia surged and the EU continued to experience a steep downturn. These developments suggest that exporters are entering the final months of the year amid a market environment marked by greater uncertainty.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached $3.3 billion in the first eight months of 2026, up 12% year on year. However, growth momentum is moderating and market divergece is becoming more pronounced, while the US 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 place greater emphasis on quality, product specifications, supply consistency and the ability to meet market-specific demand.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports continued to grow in August 2026, bringing total export value in the first eight months of the year to US$1.5 billion, up 10% year-on-year. August exports alone reached US$205 million, up 6%. However, market performance has become increasingly divergent, with China and Brazil posting positive growth while the U.S. continued to record a sharp decline.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached US$1.14 billion in August 2026, up 6.4% year on year, bringing the total for the first eight months to more than US$8.0 billion, an increase of 11.9%. Monthly export value remained above US$1 billion, but August growth was only around half the rate recorded cumulatively through the first eight months. This indicates that the eight-month result was supported significantly by stronger performance in earlier months, while market conditions are entering a less predictable period.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Pangasius is attracting growing interest from Japanese seafood companies as prices of many traditional whitefish species remain high and supply becomes increasingly volatile. Notably, seafood group Kyokuyo has recently continued to feature pangasius among its priority products, highlighting its competitive pricing and stable supply.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) As Vietnam’s tilapia industry searches for new growth opportunities, venturing into brackish-water aquaculture could unlock a formidable competitive moat. Bypassing the volume-and-price bloodbath against established global heavyweights, Vietnam could differentiate itself through high-quality tilapia products tailored to specific farming conditions and value-added market segments.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) 2026 is rapidly shaping up to be a formidable stress test for Vietnamese pangasius exports to the United States. While exports to alternative markets maintain a resilient growth trajectory, the U.S market has declined significantly. In the first eight months of the year, pangasius exports to the U.S fell by nearly 14% year-on-year, with August alone recording a decline of more than 50%. The trend shows that difficulties in the U.S. market are not driven solely by weak consumer demand, but also by multiple layers of trade barriers that are intensifying simultaneously, particularly additional import tariffs, anti-dumping duties and growing protectionism for the domestic catfish industry.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports to Japan are showing positive signals in 2026, indicating that the market is opening up greater opportunities for pangasius products, particularly processed and value-added products. In the first seven months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to Japan reached US$31 million, up 20% year-on-year. In July alone, export value reached approximately US$5 million, up 30%.
On July 22, 2026, the Government issued Decree No. 292/2026/ND-CP detailing certain articles and providing measures for the organization and implementation of the Law on Foreign Trade Management. The Decree takes effect on September 5, 2026, replacing Decree No. 69/2018/ND-CP.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnamese pangasius producer Vinh Hoan has won the top prize at the 2026 Seafood Excellence Asia Awards for its Cured Panga Croquette, highlighting the growing potential of value-added pangasius products in international markets.
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