Shrimp exports in February 2024 decreased by 11% to 173 million USD due to the Lunar New Year. However, thanks to strong growth in January, cumulative export turnover in the first 2 months of the year still recorded an increase.
The price of raw white leg shrimp and black tiger prawn in Vietnam since January this year tended to gradually increase, although it has not yet recovered to the price level of the same period last year. In the first month of this year, the average price of Vietnamese shrimp exports to the US, UK, and Korea recorded an increase, while the export price to China, the EU, and Japan recorded a decrease.
The Chinese and US markets still show attractiveness
In February 2024, Vietnamese shrimp exports to the China and Hong Kong markets increased by 76% to 39 million USD. This is the only market among the main shrimp import markets that recorded positive growth in February this year. Accumulated in the first 2 months of the year, shrimp exports to China and Hong Kong markets recorded a 3-digit growth of 143%, reaching more than 81 million USD.
The demand for importing Vietnamese shrimp to China in the first two months of this year was quite high. In the first month of this year, China sharply increased shrimp imports to meet Lunar New Year demand. In addition, China reduced imports from Ecuador, China's largest shrimp supplier, so this market increased shrimp imports from Vietnam. In the Chinese market, Vietnamese shrimp has to compete in price with rival suppliers, but many buyers in China consider Vietnamese shrimp to be of higher quality than Ecuador and India, so they have accepted the price higher.
In 2023, China imported 1 million tons of shrimp, showing the large capacity of this recent market. Vietnamese enterprises also have a strategy to focus on selling shrimp products to China that other shrimp-supplying countries cannot meet. Vietnamese shrimp exports to China still grew well in the first half of this year.
Vietnamese shrimp exports to the US in February of this year reached 31 million USD, down 9%. In the first two months of the year, shrimp exports to this market reached 72 million USD, an increase of 26%. Although it decreased in January, it was at a slight pace due to the coincidence with the Lunar New Year holiday. The average price of Vietnamese shrimp exports to the US, after hitting bottom in November 2023, tended to increase in the first months of this year.
Experts say that US sales of fresh and frozen seafood are forecast to stabilize in 2024 after facing many difficulties in 2023 due to inflation and people tightening spending. Compared to some of the main shrimp suppliers in the US, which are India, Ecuador, and China, Vietnam is considered more promising, especially when diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the US are good, opening up many opportunities for products exporting Vietnam into America. The US is also having a policy of increasing purchases from other countries, reducing dependence on Chinese goods.
The North American Seafood Exhibition 2024 takes place from March 10–12 with the participation of many large shrimp exporters to the US, also promising many prospects for shrimp exports to this market.
Difficulties and challenges for the shrimp industry still exist, such as desease in farmed shrimp is still worrying, market demand is still weak, and there has not been a clear recovery in the EU, Japan, and Korea markets. The shrimp industry is determined to focus on the farming stage to increase competitiveness and promote the production of value-added products. With the support of the government, ministries, and branches, shrimp exports hope to soon return to the growth track this year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Spain increased by 13% compared to 2024. This growth trend has continued into the first two months of 2026. According to Vietnam Customs statistics, export turnover to this market reached nearly USD 3 million in January–February 2026, up 101% year-on-year and significantly higher than the same period in 2024. This development indicates that Spain is once again becoming a notable destination for Vietnamese tuna amid strong demand for tuna raw materials and products in Europe.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The 2026 brackish water shrimp farming season in the Mekong Delta has started earlier than usual, mainly driven by positive market signals, as shrimp prices in 2025 remained high and supply was limited. Many enterprises and farms in Cần Thơ, Cà Mau, and Vĩnh Long have proactively stocked early to seize opportunities. By early 2026, stocking areas in many localities had reached a high proportion of planned targets, with intensive and high-tech farming models expanding rapidly.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the United States recorded remarkable growth in 2025, opening up major opportunities while also presenting considerable challenges. The U.S. remains the largest importer of Vietnamese tilapia fillets, with export turnover reaching USD 40 million—an increase of up to 499% compared to 2024. This impressive growth reflects strong demand in the U.S. market, as supply from competing countries such as China has been constrained by tariffs and rising production costs.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Pangasius remains a strategic export commodity in Vietnam’s seafood sector. Entering 2026, the industry faces a strong need to transition from volume-based growth to a value-driven development model, with a focus on quality, food safety, and sustainability.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Following damage caused by Storm No. 13 in late 2025, brackish water shrimp farming in Gia Lai is being rapidly restored. In key farming areas such as Tuy Phước and Tuy Phước Đông, farmers are focusing on rehabilitating ponds, repairing infrastructure, and treating the environment in preparation for the 2026 crop.
(seafood.vasep.com) Facing the decline in fishery resources, Vietnam is accelerating livelihood transitions for fishermen to reduce fishing pressure and move toward sustainable development. Marine fish stocks have dropped significantly from 4.82 million tons in 2000–2005 to 3.95 million tons in 2016–2020.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp industry is entering a period of strong transformation with the emergence of various high-tech farming models, helping improve productivity and competitiveness. Over the past 5–10 years, farming practices have shifted from traditional methods to intensive and super-intensive systems, featuring lined ponds, environmental sensors, automated feeding, and data management.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) With a focus on sustainable development, high-tech application, and climate change adaptation, An Giang Province aims to maintain its brackish water shrimp production in 2026 at a level equivalent to the previous year. Specifically, output is projected to reach over 155,510 tons, serving both domestic consumption and export processing, thereby sustaining the fisheries sector’s key role in the local economic structure.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the Mekong Delta, key pangasius farming provinces such as An Giang, Dong Thap, and Can Tho are accelerating the transition toward a circular economy model, contributing to higher product value and reduced environmental impact. Instead of focusing solely on farming and processing, the pangasius value chain is increasingly utilizing by-products and waste streams to generate added value.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s scallop exports are entering a phase of impressive growth, as the global market undergoes significant restructuring. In 2025, scallop export value reached nearly USD 66 million, up 49% from USD 44 million in 2024. This upward momentum has continued and accelerated into early 2026, with exports totaling USD 18.1 million in the first two months alone—an increase of 166% year-on-year. This represents an exceptionally high growth rate, reflecting the rapid expansion of a relatively new product segment within Vietnam’s mollusk export portfolio.
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