The export deceleration in May can be explained by the unfavorable weather. Rainfall earlier than usual affects the fishery production and causes disease in farmed shrimp, leading to a decrease in shrimp production. At the same time, the inventories from 2021 have also been depleted.
Particularly, shrimp exports in June decreased by 1% compared to the same period last year because of the shortage of raw materials. In July, shrimp exports continued to decrease by nearly 13% to reach 385 million USD. Accumulation of 7 months, shrimp exports brought in 2.65 billion USD, rising 22% over the same period last year.
Shrimp production and the world shrimp demand are not expected to be positive in the last 6 months of the year. Shrimp production from other suppliers increased sharply while import volume of major markets such as the EU and US are slowing down because of high inventory and decrease in demand. Meanwhile, the domestic production of raw shrimp is facing difficulties due to the adverse weather and rising production costs. As a result, Vietnam would experience a shortage of raw shrimp in the second half of the year.
Unlike the shrimp, the source of raw materials for pangasius is not a big problem. However, the demand also tends to decrease in some markets. Therefore, Vietnam’s pangasius exports also slowed down in the second quarter. In July, pangasius exports reached 197 million USD, an increase of 56%. Accumulated until the end of July, pangasius exports reached over 1.6 billion USD, up 79% over the same period last year.
Price inflation and the trend of increasing export prices have led to a decrease in demand in major markets to adapt to the changes. However, pangasius is still an advantageous commodity when inflation is too high in many markets. Consumers will tighten their spendings and switch to more affordable products such as frozen pangasius fillets or fish cakes, surimi as well as some other frozen products, etc.
Exports of tuna, other marine fishes and cephalopod still maintained a high growth rate of 37-44% in July. By the end of July 2022, Vietnam tuna exports increased by 53% to 641 million USD. Exports of cephalopods increased by 31% to 417 million USD, other marine fishes increased by 16% to over 1.1 billion USD.
The increase in inventories along with inflation has affected the import demand of the US since June. Consequently, Vietnam's seafood exports to this market decreased by 8% in June and continued to fall deeply by 23% in July. Accumulating the first 7 months of the year, exports to the US reached nearly 1.5 billion USD, 31% increase over the same period last year.
Exports to the EU still maintained a growth rate of 28% in July. Accumulated in 7 months, Vietnam seafood exports to the EU reached 829 million USD, an increase of 39% over the same period in 2021. Seafood exports to China after 7 months have reached 1 billion USD, increased by 71% over the same period in 2021.
Scarcity of raw materials for shrimp and seafood will continue to affect Vietnam's seafood export results in the third quarter. Accordingly, Vietnam’s seafood exports in the third quarter is forecasted to grow slower than the second and first quarters, estimated at about 3 billion USD.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a relatively sluggish first quarter, Vietnam's exports of fish cakes and surimi showed a clearer recovery in the second quarter, particularly in June. Export value in the first six months of 2026 reached USD 148 million, down 2% year on year. However, the newly imposed 12.5% additional U.S. tariff on Vietnamese goods, intensifying competition in Northeast Asia, and increasingly stringent traceability requirements in the EU are making the outlook for the second half of the year more uncertain.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In June 2026, Vietnam's shrimp exports reached nearly USD 458 million, up 24% year-on-year. In the first six months of 2026, export value totaled USD 2.35 billion, an increase of 14.2% compared with the same period last year. Growth was driven mainly by the Chinese market and the strong performance of lobster exports, while shrimp exports continued to face pressure from U.S. tariffs and rising logistics costs.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) As part of Vietfish 2026, the Hosted Buyer Program is designed as a specialized B2B matchmaking initiative for selected international buyers, providing opportunities to meet directly with Vietnamese seafood exporters, gain the latest market insights, and experience Vietnam's seafood supply chain firsthand.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) A project titled "Sustainable Shrimp Industry Governance" has been launched in Ca Mau Province with the aim of supporting the transition of the province's shrimp industry toward higher quality, lower emissions, stronger governance capacity, improved supply chain traceability, and the development of a sustainable shrimp brand that meets the increasingly stringent requirements of export markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Khanh Hoa Provincial Agricultural Extension Center, in collaboration with the Northern Center for Marine Aquaculture Research and the Van Hung Public Service Center, recently organized a training course on disease-free golden pompano seed production. The program is part of a National Agricultural Extension Project aimed at developing industrial-scale seed production models to support sustainable marine aquaculture.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports have shown encouraging signs of recovery in 2026. In the first four months of the year, total export turnover reached USD 720 million, up 17% compared to the same period last year. This result reflects improving demand across many markets, as well as the efforts of Vietnamese pangasius enterprises to maintain production, secure orders, and adapt to changing market conditions.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The application of high technology in shrimp farming is delivering positive results in the coastal areas of Vinh Long Province, contributing to improved production efficiency and creating significant potential for further industry expansion. However, to fully capitalize on this potential, the province is focusing on aquaculture zoning, infrastructure investment, and promoting modern, sustainable production.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Đồng Tháp Province has intensified efforts to curb illegal fishing by strengthening vessel monitoring, law enforcement and seafood traceability.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood businesses need solutions to overcome bottlenecks such as labor shortages, difficulty accessing capital, high input costs, and administrative procedures in order to maintain production, adapt to market fluctuations, and effectively exploit export opportunities.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The FTA would widen access to markets with strong demand for premium food products in line with the country’s strategy of shifting exports towards increasing added value.
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