Since 2007, EU has surpassed Japan to become the largest importer of Vietnam seafood with fast and stable growth. In 2011, EU took the lead in seafood importing from Vietnam with 21.8 percent of the market share, followed by the U.S. with 19.3 percent and Japan with 16.4 percent.
In the first three months of 2012, seafood exports reached over US$1.3 billion in which EU was still the largest seafood importer of Vietnam with US$260 million, representing a 7.9 percent reduction from that of the same period of 2011.
Vietnam supplies a variety of seafood products for EU in which pangasius is the main exported item. Pangasius export volume to EU was stable, however, the export price tended to be increasingly low.
In contrast, shrimp shipment to EU showed a positive sign in two recent years and was expected to rocket in the upcoming years. In 2011, shrimp exports to EU was up 20.3 percent over 2010, bringing Vietnam to rank the fifth in top shrimp exporters to EU with the growth of 6.1 percent in market share of 2010 to 7.5 percent of 2011.
Pangasius is an advantage of Vietnam seafood exports while it is more and more popular with EU consumers. Boosting pangasius exports to EU will bring mutual benefit, Mr. Struan Stevenson - Senior Vice President of the European Parliament Fisheries Committee said.
In 2011 alone, Vietnam delivered 600,000 MT of pangasius to EU and average annual growth in seafood exports to EU was 30 percent. Vietnam seafood has succeeded in getting a foothold in EU market, Stevenson concluded.
Despite European debt crisis, the food industries in the region are standing firmly. ESE 2012 attracted over 1,600 seafood companies from 80 countries all over the world which were decorated impressively in the area of 34,000 square meters. At 2012 ESE, Vietnam enterprises have nearly 40 booths with nice and professional decoration and they are among the largest booths in the Exposition.
In 2012, despite instable financial situation in many countries, VASEP still focused on improving its images in ESE 2012. This year, Vietnam seafood enterprises were more active in preparing as well as bringing new seafood products to the Exposition.
Vietnam seafood exports are affected by European credit tightening. Seafood enterprises are waiting for banks’ credit loosening for loans to reinvest and stabilize their business in the EU market.
(vasep.com.vn) On November 11, 2026, in Can Tho, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) will organize the Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026) under the theme “Seafood Market Outlook 2027–2029: Opportunities and Headroom for Double-Digit Export Growth.”
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Business leader Do Ngoc Tai, General Director of Tai Kim Anh Seafood Processing Joint Stock Company, was honored by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) with the title “Outstanding Vietnamese Entrepreneur – Thanh Giong Cup 2026” at a ceremony celebrating Vietnam Entrepreneurs’ Day (October 13). The event took place on the evening of October 11, 2026, at the National Convention Center in Hanoi.
(vasep.com.vn) The global tilapia market is becoming increasingly segmented, not only among producing countries but also by product type and destination market. Supply is divided into groups with distinct competitive advantages: large volumes of whole fish and frozen fillets from Asia, high-value fresh fillets from Latin America, and substantial domestic consumption in several major producing countries.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tuna exports to the UK grew in the first eight months of 2026, despite signs of slowing import demand in the market. However, sharp fluctuations in orders, competition from major suppliers, and new traceability requirements are creating challenges for Vietnamese exporters.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam is stepping up efforts to combat illegal fishing, protect marine ecosystems, expand digital monitoring, and develop science-based management to ensure the sea can support communities and the economy for generations to come.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The EU remains a critical market for Vietnamese shrimp; however, purchasing demand and import patterns are undergoing notable changes. According to Vietnam Customs data, as of September 15, 2026, Vietnam’s shrimp exports to the EU reached nearly $374 million, down 5% year-over-year and accounting for 10.7% of the country’s total shrimp export value. Meanwhile, the EU’s stotal shrimp imports through July 2026 contracted by 7% in volume, exhibiting divergent trends across Southern Europe, Northwestern Europe and Eastern Europe. These dynamics necessitate that Vietnamese enterprises closely monitor individualized market demand, rather than approaching the EU as a monolithic consumer block.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam’s exports of surimi and fish cakes remained relatively stable year-over-year compared to 2025. Following a contraction in the initial months, export performance demonstrated improvement from June onward, peaking in August. However, the recovery has been uneven, characterized by divergent trends across major markets: robust growth was recorded in China, Japan, Malaysia, the United States, and Taiwan, whereas export volumes to South Korea, Indonesia, and select European markets contracted.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Pangasius remains one of Dong Thap’s key aquaculture species, with the province focusing on developing an integrated value chain covering seed production, commercial farming, deep processing and by-product utilization. The province is promoting high-tech, circular pangasius farming models featuring reduced water exchange and enhanced biosecurity, aiming to improve production efficiency and strengthen control over raw material quality.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports in September 2026 are estimated at US$1.135 billion, up 11.9% year-on-year, bringing total exports in the first nine months of the year to US$9.103 billion, up 11.4%. Behind this double-digit growth, however, increasingly divergent market trends are emerging: China–Hong Kong and ASEAN posted strong growth, while the U.S., EU and Japan all recorded declines in September.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Brazil became the largest market for Vietnamese tilapia, with export value reaching US$44 million, up 22,142% year-on-year and accounting for 49% of Vietnam’s total tilapia exports. In August alone, exports to Brazil reached US$4 million. However, behind this remarkable growth is a market that is imposing increasingly stringent requirements on imported supplies.
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
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