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) Although Germany’s tuna imports have declined, Vietnam’s tuna exports to the market continue to show positive signs. Notably, export value recovered strongly in Q3/2026, and German import data also show Vietnamese products strengthening their position amid competition among suppliers.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood exports are holding double-digit growth, but the opportunities are not spread evenly across product groups and markets. As businesses draw up their plans for 2027, Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS2026) offers a chance to look ahead together: what to sell, where to sell it, and how to prepare for growth in the coming years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) With less than two weeks to go, the Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026) will officially take place in Can Tho. Under the theme “Seafood Market Outlook 2027–2029 – Opportunities and Potential for Double-Digit Export Growth,” the Summit is organized by VASEP at a time when seafood businesses are facing rapid market shifts, changing buyer demand, trade policy changes and growing competitive pressure all at once.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On October 28, 2026, the China Fisheries & Seafood Expo opened in Qingdao, China. The expo takes place over three days from October 28 to 30, 2026. This is a prestigious specialized seafood exhibition organized annually by Sea Fare Exposition Inc.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first nine months of 2026, Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the CPTPP bloc reached $7 million, marking a 51% year-on-year increase. The bloc rstands as the fourth-largest market for Vietnamese tilapia, trailing Brazil, the US, and Saudi Arabia.
(vasep.com.vn) VASEP has officially announced the program for Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026), featuring five in-depth sessions covering industry outlooks, trade barriers, buyer demand, the domestic market, and solutions to improve productivity and reduce costs across the seafood value chain.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached US$3.7 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 11% year on year. Although growth has been supported by China and several markets within the CPTPP, momentum is slowing as exports to the United States and the European Union decline. Tariff pressures, international competition, and raw material challenges are creating significant hurdles for exporters in the final months of the year.
(vasep.com.vn) Markets are changing faster, buyer requirements are becoming more demanding, and trade barriers are growing increasingly complex. In this environment, seafood businesses need more than an understanding of current market conditions. They need a longer-term perspective to answer a critical question: Where will growth opportunities come from in 2027–2029, and what should businesses do now to prepare? This is one of the key reasons why VASEP is organizing Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East reached US$113 million, up 7% year on year from the same period in 2025. Growth has become more pronounced in recent months. In August alone, exports to the region totaled US$20 million, an increase of 24%. This indicates that demand for Vietnamese pangasius in the Middle East is gradually recovering after a slowdown in March, although the pace of recovery varies across markets.
(vasep.com.vn) China’s shrimp imports continued to grow strongly in 2026, while Vietnam’s shrimp exports to the market also recorded notable growth. However, behind these positive figures lie two distinct trends: Chinese consumption is growing more slowly than imports, and lobster accounts for a substantial share of Vietnam’s shrimp exports to China, making its product mix significantly different from those of Ecuador and India. Exporters therefore need to assess each segment carefully to understand the opportunities and risks.
VASEP - HIỆP HỘI CHẾ BIẾN VÀ XUẤT KHẨU THỦY SẢN VIỆT NAM
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