This development shows that market demand still exists, though it is no longer moving uniformly upward as it did earlier in the year. For exporters, this is an important signal: Vietnamese clams continue to maintain their presence in many key markets, but market divergence is becoming increasingly apparent.
Europe remains the backbone of Vietnam’s clam exports
Looking at the market structure, Europe continues to play the leading role. In the first four months of 2026, Spain was the largest market for Vietnamese clams, with imports valued at USD 10 million, up 29% year-on-year. Italy followed closely with USD 9 million, up 5%. Portugal reached USD 5 million, down slightly by 2%, but still remained among the largest importers.
In fact, this trend aligns well with the global market picture for clams and bivalve mollusks. According to the FAO, market conditions for bivalves in 2025 were generally favorable across major markets. Clams in particular recorded strong demand, especially in Spain, France, and other EU countries, while supply faced pressure from climate conditions, harmful algae blooms, and biological factors, keeping prices at relatively high levels.
Not only is consumer demand strong, but import demand from outside the EU is also increasing. According to EUMOFA, EU imports of bivalves from non-EU suppliers during the first 11 months of 2025 reached approximately EUR 657 million, up 9% in value and 7% in volume compared to the same period in 2024. This indicates that the European market remains relatively open to mollusk products, including clams.
Exports to the US rise while China slows down
Another bright spot is the United States. In the first four months of 2026, Vietnam’s clam exports to the US reached nearly USD 6 million, up 49% compared to the same period last year. This is a notable increase, especially as Vietnamese companies face increasingly fierce competition in the mid- and high-value seafood segments.
The US market still offers considerable room for growth. According to NOAA, around 80% of the seafood consumed in the United States each year is imported. This means that suppliers capable of ensuring stable quality, food safety, and traceability continue to have opportunities in this market.
In contrast, China is showing a much clearer slowdown. In the first four months of 2026, clam exports to China reached only nearly USD 4 million, down as much as 52%. This sharp decline not only dragged down overall growth but also highlighted the risks of relying too heavily on short-term orders or unstable distribution channels.
Opportunities lie in niche markets
Beyond the major markets, Vietnam’s clam exports to several smaller destinations have shown strong growth, including Singapore up 93%, Australia up 57%, Germany up 84%, Belgium up 45%, Malaysia up 222%, and Mexico up 113%. Although these markets remain relatively small in scale, they are worth monitoring due to their strong growth momentum and potentially lower competitive pressure compared to traditional markets.
From a longer-term perspective, the EU remains one of the world’s most important clam-consuming regions. According to a European Commission report, Italy, Portugal, and Spain are among the EU’s main clam-producing countries, while also playing key roles in consumption and trade. Spain is also one of Europe’s largest seafood import markets.
This means opportunities for Vietnamese clams lie not only in selling products, but also in penetrating deeper into suitable segments such as convenient frozen products, consistently processed semi-prepared products, and product lines serving restaurants and modern retail channels.
Vietnam’s clam exports in 2026 are therefore unlikely to post strong and even growth every month, though they are still expected to remain higher than the same period last year. Europe, especially Spain and Italy, will likely continue serving as the main pillar. The US could remain a bright spot if demand stays stable. Meanwhile, the Chinese market may continue to fluctuate, while smaller markets could provide additional room to offset volatility elsewhere.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tuna exports sustained their upward trajectory in August 2026, though the pace remained modest at just 2%. The month saw divergent trends across key markets: the US maintained its leading position, Japan and Canada improved, Russia surged and the EU continued to experience a steep downturn. These developments suggest that exporters are entering the final months of the year amid a market environment marked by greater uncertainty.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached $3.3 billion in the first eight months of 2026, up 12% year on year. However, growth momentum is moderating and market divergece is becoming more pronounced, while the US and EU continue to present significant challenges. The latest insights from the Global shrimp forum 2026 (GSF 2026), held in early September, also indicate that the final months of the year will remain highly competitive as global supply continues to expand and buyers place greater emphasis on quality, product specifications, supply consistency and the ability to meet market-specific demand.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports continued to grow in August 2026, bringing total export value in the first eight months of the year to US$1.5 billion, up 10% year-on-year. August exports alone reached US$205 million, up 6%. However, market performance has become increasingly divergent, with China and Brazil posting positive growth while the U.S. continued to record a sharp decline.
(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.
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