In particular, shrimp exports rose by 8.5%; pangasius up 5.6%; other finfish up 16.6%; crabs and other crustaceans up 16.5%. However, marine products like tuna, cephalopod were on a downward trend. In which, tuna export fell by 4%; cephalopod downed nearly 7%. The total seafood exports in Jan-Feb 2016 reached US$915.6 million, an increase of 7.2% over Jan-Feb last year.
Shrimp
In the first 2 months of 2016, the total shrimp exports of Vietnam hit US$378.4 million, up 8.5% year on year. Shrimp exports to some markets reported a slight fall (the EU: -1.8%; Japan: -2.4%; Korea -0.6%, Canada: -17.3%), the sales to some markets showed a significant climb (the U.S.: +24.8%; China - Hong Kong: +36.5%). In the period, the U.S. remained its position as the biggest shrimp importer of Vietnam, while China - Hong Kong (with the revenue of US$64.8 million, accounting for 17.1% of total Vietnam exports) emerged to the 2nd from the 4th place among top 5 largest importers (the U.S., Japan, EU, China - Hong Kong and South Korea) of Vietnam shrimp.
In Sep 2015, the US Department of Commerce (DOC) issued the final results of the ninth anti-dumping duty administrative reviews (POR9) on frozen shrimp imported from Vietnam (from Feb, 1st 2013 to Jan, 31st 2014). Accordingly, the average tax duty (0.91%) decreased from the preliminary results issued in Mar 2015 (0.93%) and downed sharply from 6.37% from POR8. Thanks to this result, Vietnam shrimp exporters expected shrimp sales to the U.S. to be on the upward trend. However, Vietnam shrimp exports to the U.S. in 2015 was down 25.3% compared to 2014. In Jan-Feb 2016, shrimp exports to the U.S. began to increase compared to the same period last year.
Pangasius
Vietnam pangasius exports in the first 2 months of 2016 reached US$237.35 million, up 5.6% from the same period last year. Pangasius exports to major markets were on the rise: the U.S. up 14.7%; the EU with 0.4%; China - Hong Kong with 32.6%; ASEAN with 9.8% and Brazil with 642.7% over the same period of 2015. Currently, the Vietnam pangasius exports to the U.S. (accounting for 23.6% of total exports) are not affected by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) catfish inspection program. There are 45 processing plants of Vietnam eligible to export to the U.S as announced by the USDA. Pangasius exporters are waiting for the final results POR11 (from Aug, 1st 2013 to Jul, 31st 2014) from the DOC. If the anti-dumping duties are higher, Vietnam pangasius exports to the U.S. are predicted to continue the fall.
Marine products
Marine product exports of Vietnam in Jan-Feb 2016 reached nearly US$299.9 million, up 7% compared Jan-Feb 2015. Other marine finfish exports (excluding tuna) touched US$155.6 million, up 16.6%; crabs and other crustaceans with US$18.3 million, up 16.5% over Jan-Feb 2015. Meanwhile, Vietnam tuna exports decreased by 4.8%, hit US$60.7 million, in which processed tuna (HS code 16) down 24% over the same period last year. Vietnam tuna exports to some major markets decreased: the US down 0.4%; the EU with 11.5%; ASEAN with 13.7%; Japan with 20% from the same period in 2015.
Written by Ta Ha
Compiled by Dieu Thuy
(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.
(vasep.com.vn) The Global Shrimp Forum (GSF) 2026 is taking place from September 1–3 in Utrecht, the Netherlands, bringing together around 585 delegates from 40 countries, representing approximately 300 companies and organizations across the shrimp supply chain. Representatives from VASEP are attending the event as part of the Vietnamese delegation, strengthening connections with partners across the global shrimp industry.
(vasep.com.vn) At the international B2B seminar (Hosted Buyer Program) held as part of Vietfish 2026, Mr. Nguyen Hoang Pham, Sales Director of Tai Kim Anh Seafood Processing Joint Stock Company, delivered a presentation entitled “Vietnam’s Shrimp Industry: Changing for Sustainability.” From the perspective of a seafood processor, the presentation highlighted that Vietnam’s shrimp industry continues to play a leading role in seafood exports, but is entering a new phase of competition in which change is no longer an option, but a prerequisite for growth.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) VIETFISH 2026 may have concluded after three dynamic days in Ho Chi Minh City, but conversations around the exhibition continue to resonate across international trade media, industry organizations, and the social media channels of participating companies.
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