“Before Vietnam only used to sell whole fish to the border region in southern China. Now fillet pangasius goes to Beijing and to Shanghai and even now goes to Dalian. The demand will be much higher.” Truong Dinh Hoe, General Secretary of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers said.
Vietnam’s pangasius exporters benefited from the China-US trade rift last year, with major importers switching to Vietnamese pangasius. The fish is a type of catfish and widely accepted by US consumers
Vietnam is the world’s largest pangasius producer, achieving 1.33 million metric tons of output in 2018, versus 1.25m in 2017, The next biggest players are India with 540,000t of output in 2018, Bangladesh with 455,000t, and Indonesia with 110,000t.
China is fast catching up with the European Union as the world’s biggest seafood importer, as imports reached almost 5m metric tons seafood last year, according to Rabobank. Pangasius is a “really good choice” for Chinese customers seeking white fish fillets given that Vietnam neighbors the world’s most populous nation, Truong Dinh Hoe said.
One of the last challenges to overcome was getting Chinese customers to buy imported fillets, instead of whole fish, he said. China’s GDP per capita has surged from $3,471 in 2008 to $8,827 in 2017, according to World Bank data. By contrast, Vietnam’s GDP per capita rose from $1,143 to $2,342 over the same period, broadly meaning it’s labor costs are now much cheaper than China.
This means that selling fillets made on the Mekong Delta to China is highly competitive.
Currently, seafood exports to China is increasingly convenient with low cost. Almost seafood exporters in the South have moved from road transportation to marinetime transpotation. Compared to exports through unofficiall route by road, officiall exports by seaway helps enterprises limit payment, product quality risks and save costs.
In 2019, it will be an opportunity for enterprises to expand exports by sea freight to major cities of China to improve the quality and quantity of official exports. Seafood exports to the Chinese market are forecast to reach US$1.5 billion this year, of which pangasius is one of the key products.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Currently, Da Nang City has no fishing vessels detained, sanctioned by foreign authorities, or criminally prosecuted for IUU fishing violations. Patrols, monitoring of marine fishing activities, and handling of violations have been prioritized by competent forces, significantly reducing nearshore fishing infringements.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to statistics from Vietnam Customs, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Israel in the first nine months of 2025 reached just over USD 27 million, down as much as 49% compared to the same period in 2024. This is a steep and prolonged decline for many consecutive months, reflecting changes in import demand as well as shifts in the supply structure of this market.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The first 700 tons of Vietnamese tilapia ordered and imported by JBS Group will initially be distributed through supermarket chains, the Horeca network and JBS’s product showrooms in Brazil.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In October 2025, Vietnam’s pangasius exports hit $217 million, representing an 8% increase compared to the same month in 2024. For the first 10 months of the year, total export value has surpassed $1.8 billion, up 9% year-on-year. This growth demonstrates clear positive momentum for the pangasius industry, despite continued declines in certain markets.
In recent days, the Central provinces of Vietnam have been suffering from historic flooding, with prolonged heavy rains, landslides, flash floods, and deep inundation causing extremely serious impacts on tens of thousands of households, as well as many VASEP member exporters located in the region. With the spirit of mutual support and solidarity, and in order to promptly assist residents and member exporters in the affected areas to stabilize their lives and restore production activities, VASEP calls on all seafood exporters, organizations, and individuals to extend supports to the people and member exporters in the flood-hit areas. We urge timely and practical material and spiritual contributions to help member exporters and local communities in the severely affected provinces overcome this difficult period.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the final days of October 2025, Vietnam’s domestic raw shrimp market remained generally stable, though slight adjustments were recorded in several sizes across key farming regions.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached USD 498 million in October 2025, up 26% from the same period last year. This is one of the highest monthly revenues since the beginning of the year, reflecting solid demand in major markets and faster shipment schedules by exporters. From January to October, shrimp export value reached USD 3.9 billion, up 22% compared to the same period in 2024.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On October 31, 2025, the US Court of International Trade (CIT) officially issued an order to suspend the case filed by the National Fisheries Institute (NFI), the National Restaurant Association (NRA), and several US seafood companies against the US Government concerning the implementation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) An Giang’s fisheries sector has maintained stable growth momentum during the first nine months of 2025, making an important contribution to the province’s socio-economic development. Despite facing numerous challenges, the province is implementing various measures to enhance production efficiency, expand markets, and promote sustainable fisheries development toward deeper integration into the global economy.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius export value in September 2025 reached USD 181 million, up 5% compared to the same period in 2024. The overall trend for the pangasius industry remains positive, with total exports in the first nine months of 2025 reaching nearly USD 1.6 billion, an increase of 9% year-on-year.
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