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.
(vasep.com.vn) On November 11, 2026, in Can Tho, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) will organize the Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026) under the theme “Seafood Market Outlook 2027–2029: Opportunities and Headroom for Double-Digit Export Growth.”
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Business leader Do Ngoc Tai, General Director of Tai Kim Anh Seafood Processing Joint Stock Company, was honored by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) with the title “Outstanding Vietnamese Entrepreneur – Thanh Giong Cup 2026” at a ceremony celebrating Vietnam Entrepreneurs’ Day (October 13). The event took place on the evening of October 11, 2026, at the National Convention Center in Hanoi.
(vasep.com.vn) The global tilapia market is becoming increasingly segmented, not only among producing countries but also by product type and destination market. Supply is divided into groups with distinct competitive advantages: large volumes of whole fish and frozen fillets from Asia, high-value fresh fillets from Latin America, and substantial domestic consumption in several major producing countries.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tuna exports to the UK grew in the first eight months of 2026, despite signs of slowing import demand in the market. However, sharp fluctuations in orders, competition from major suppliers, and new traceability requirements are creating challenges for Vietnamese exporters.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam is stepping up efforts to combat illegal fishing, protect marine ecosystems, expand digital monitoring, and develop science-based management to ensure the sea can support communities and the economy for generations to come.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The EU remains a critical market for Vietnamese shrimp; however, purchasing demand and import patterns are undergoing notable changes. According to Vietnam Customs data, as of September 15, 2026, Vietnam’s shrimp exports to the EU reached nearly $374 million, down 5% year-over-year and accounting for 10.7% of the country’s total shrimp export value. Meanwhile, the EU’s stotal shrimp imports through July 2026 contracted by 7% in volume, exhibiting divergent trends across Southern Europe, Northwestern Europe and Eastern Europe. These dynamics necessitate that Vietnamese enterprises closely monitor individualized market demand, rather than approaching the EU as a monolithic consumer block.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam’s exports of surimi and fish cakes remained relatively stable year-over-year compared to 2025. Following a contraction in the initial months, export performance demonstrated improvement from June onward, peaking in August. However, the recovery has been uneven, characterized by divergent trends across major markets: robust growth was recorded in China, Japan, Malaysia, the United States, and Taiwan, whereas export volumes to South Korea, Indonesia, and select European markets contracted.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Pangasius remains one of Dong Thap’s key aquaculture species, with the province focusing on developing an integrated value chain covering seed production, commercial farming, deep processing and by-product utilization. The province is promoting high-tech, circular pangasius farming models featuring reduced water exchange and enhanced biosecurity, aiming to improve production efficiency and strengthen control over raw material quality.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports in September 2026 are estimated at US$1.135 billion, up 11.9% year-on-year, bringing total exports in the first nine months of the year to US$9.103 billion, up 11.4%. Behind this double-digit growth, however, increasingly divergent market trends are emerging: China–Hong Kong and ASEAN posted strong growth, while the U.S., EU and Japan all recorded declines in September.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Brazil became the largest market for Vietnamese tilapia, with export value reaching US$44 million, up 22,142% year-on-year and accounting for 49% of Vietnam’s total tilapia exports. In August alone, exports to Brazil reached US$4 million. However, behind this remarkable growth is a market that is imposing increasingly stringent requirements on imported supplies.
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