China & Hong Kong and CPTPP maintain growth momentum, while the EU recovers
China & Hong Kong continued to be the largest import market for Vietnamese pangasius, reaching USD 72 million, up 129% year-on-year. Compared with USD 63 million in December 2025, the increase reflects strong consumption demand. This year, the festive season in China came later than usual, leading to increased imports for consumption and stockpiling at the beginning of the year, thereby pushing export value higher.
Exports of Vietnamese pangasius to the CPTPP market bloc reached USD 37 million, up 52% year-on-year. The growth was mainly driven by several key member markets such as Mexico, which reached USD 11 million, up 108%; Japan, which reached USD 5 million, up 75%; and the United Kingdom, which reached USD 6 million, up 46% compared with the same period in 2025. Meanwhile, Canada and several other markets in the bloc maintained stable import levels. Strong growth in major markets contributed to the overall increase in CPTPP export value. After impressive growth in 2025, this market bloc continues to show positive signals and strong potential for Vietnamese pangasius products.
In ASEAN, export value reached USD 20 million, up 49% compared with the same period in 2025. Some markets in the region recorded strong growth, such as Thailand, which reached USD 9 million, up 65%. However, growth among markets within the bloc was uneven, with clear differences between individual countries.
In January 2026, pangasius exports to the EU reached USD 15 million, up 18% year-on-year. Amid shortages of cod and pollock supply in Europe, demand for alternative whitefish products has increased. As a result, Vietnamese pangasius has benefited as a competitive alternative thanks to its affordable price and stable supply. The Netherlands, a traditional market that recorded negative growth in the last few months of 2025, has also shown signs of recovery. Pangasius export value to this market reached USD 4 million in January 2026, up 21% compared with the same period last year.
Middle East market still faces risks from the Iran–Israel conflict
In the Middle East, Vietnam’s pangasius export value reached USD 14 million, up 50% year-on-year. However, compared with December, the market has shown signs of slowing down. In the coming period, as military tensions in the region become more complex, pangasius exports to the Middle East may face negative impacts. Currently, maritime shipping routes have been disrupted, and the risk of attacks has increased, making it more difficult to ensure timely delivery of frozen seafood products.
The current risk focus lies at the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic shipping route connecting the Persian Gulf with the Indian Ocean. As security alerts increase, many shipping lines have adjusted their routes, temporarily suspending passages through Hormuz or rerouting vessels around the Cape of Good Hope instead of passing through the Red Sea – Bab el-Mandeb – Suez Canal corridor. In recent days, freight rates on the Asia–Dubai route have nearly doubled, while emergency surcharges for routes to and from Gulf countries range from USD 1,500 to USD 4,000 per container, with higher fees applied to refrigerated containers.
In addition, war risk insurance premiums have surged, and in some cases coverage has been canceled, forcing many commercial vessels to purchase new insurance at very high costs in order to continue operating. This could increase overall costs, narrow profit margins, and make it more challenging to maintain delivery schedules for frozen seafood products, including Vietnamese pangasius.
Overall, the import landscape for Vietnamese pangasius across major market blocs shows positive signs of recovery, particularly in China & Hong Kong and the CPTPP bloc. However, geopolitical factors and global logistics fluctuations, especially in the Middle East, remain significant challenges for the pangasius industry in the coming period.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to the latest statistics for January 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius export value to major market blocs recorded encouraging growth compared with the same period last year, indicating that consumption demand is gradually recovering.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports in February 2026 reached approximately USD 707 million, up 8% compared to the same period last year. Cumulatively, exports in the first two months of 2026 totaled USD 1.7 billion, an increase of 20.2% year-on-year. The results show that the sector’s recovery momentum has remained relatively solid following strong growth in January, although the pace slowed noticeably in February for several key products and major markets. Within the overall picture, shrimp continues to be the largest pillar, pangasius rebounds strongly, while tuna exports and the U.S. and Korean markets are sending signals that warrant closer monitoring. In March, seafood exports are expected to gain additional momentum from markets other than the U.S., potentially supporting stronger growth.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first months of 2026, fishing activities in Quang Tri province recorded many positive signals, with output reaching over 15,941 tons. This result not only demonstrates fishermen’s efforts to stay offshore but also reflects the effectiveness of management and support measures implemented by local authorities.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first months of 2026, IUU prevention models focused on communication and mobilizing fishermen to comply with fisheries laws and avoid encroaching on foreign waters—related to combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing—have been implemented in coastal localities of Lam Dong province and have delivered initial positive results.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The sharp rise in raw pangasius prices to record levels is sending positive signals for the industry, but experts warn of potential supply–demand imbalances if production is not tightly controlled.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to statistics from Vietnam Customs, the country’s total canned tuna export value in 2025 reached over USD 275 million, down 8% compared to 2024. Vietnamese canned tuna products were present in approximately 80 markets worldwide. However, the 2025 picture shows clear divergence: the U.S. maintained stability, the EU declined sharply, while several Middle East–North Africa (MENA) markets accelerated.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s crab exports reached nearly USD 86 million, up almost 6% compared to 2024. A notable feature of 2025 was the strong market concentration in the United States, which accounted for more than 81% of Vietnam’s total crab export value, up 10% from the previous year. In contrast, exports to several Asian markets declined significantly, resulting in only modest overall growth for the year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s tilapia exports recorded impressive growth, with total export turnover reaching over USD 99 million, highlighting the increasingly important role of this product in the country’s seafood export structure. Of this total, tilapia fillets and other fish meat products accounted for USD 61 million, representing 61% of total export value and reaffirming their position as the key product category.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Shrimp seed quality is considered the “first link” and a decisive factor affecting the efficiency of the entire commercial shrimp production chain. High-quality seed directly influences survival rates, growth performance, and disease resistance, thereby determining production costs, productivity, and farmers’ profitability.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) As part of its agricultural restructuring strategy toward sustainability, Quang Tri Province is gradually promoting environmentally friendly aquaculture models. Among these, organic-oriented golden pompano farming is considered a promising direction, aligned with the goals of enhancing production value and building sustainable rural areas.
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