Product structure: Fillets as the primary growth driver
Regarding the product structure, the growth of Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the U.S in 2025 primarily concentrated in the tilapia fillet group. Export turnover of this product group to the U.S reached $40 million, surging 499% compared to 2024, becoming the largest contributing segment to the total tilapia export value to this market.
The strong expansion of tilapia fillets reflects consumption trends in the U.S, where convenient, easy-to-prepare and quality-stable products continue to be favored. Meanwhile, the fresh/frozen fish group maintained modest growth with turnover exceeding $13 million, up 4% year-on-year, playing a foundational segment in the export structure.
By contrast, exports of other processed tilapia products (HS16) and dried tilapia (HS0305) to the U.S recorded declines of 39% and 68%, respectively, compared to 2024. This indicates that in 2025, the U.S market focused more on frozen fillet products rather than deep-processed products or dried fish.
High tariffs on China and Brazil boost Vietnam’s presence in the U.S market
The growth of Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the United States has been closely linked to major fluctuations in global supply. China - the world’s largest producer and exporter of tilapia – continues to face high tariffs of up to 55%, significantly undermining the competitiveness of its tilapia in the U.S. market. Meanwhile, Brazil has also been subject to a high tariff rate of 50% since August 2025, forcing its enterprises to adjust their export strategies.
Against this backdrop, Vietnamese enterprises have swiftly seized the opportunity, ramping up investment in tilapia farming and processing, particularly frozen tilapia fillets that align with U.S market demand. Advantages in production costs, stable supply and the ability to flexibly meet technical requirements have helped Vietnamese tilapia increase its market share in the this market in 2025.
Outlook and development orientation
Although the U.S market continues to be assessed as a key destination in the short term, heavy reliance on a single market also poses potential risks in the face of trade policy changes. As Brazil increasingly redirects its exports toward the EU market to offset reduced access to the U.S market, Vietnam needs to continue improving product quality and meeting international certifications and sustainability standards if it wants the tilapia industry to develop sustainably.
At the same time, continued investment in broodstock improvement, farming technologies and value-added processing will be a critical foundation for Vietnam’s tilapia sector to both effectively capitalize on opportunities in the U.S market and gradually expand into demanding markets such as the EU, thereby sustaining growth momentum and strengthening its standing in the international market.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) China’s shrimp imports in the first five months of 2026 continued to surpass the same period in 2025, indicating that demand in the world’s largest seafood-consuming market remains strong. However, behind the growth figures lies an increasingly competitive landscape: Ecuador dominates the competitively priced whiteleg shrimp segment, India remains the second-largest supplier, while Vietnam stands out in the lobster segment but still needs to strengthen its advantages through quality, traceability, and reliable supply.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Lobster exports to China continued to surge in the first half of this year, putting the lobster industry on the verge of reaching an export value exceeding $1 billion.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) More than five years after the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA) took effect, Vietnamese seafood is steadily expanding its market share in the United Kingdom, one of Europe’s major seafood import markets with stable and diverse consumer demand.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) At Van Hung Commune, Khanh Hoa Province, the Khanh Hoa Agricultural Extension Center, in collaboration with the Northern Aquaculture Research Center and the Van Hung Public Service Center, organized a technical training course on the industrial-scale production of disease-free golden pompano (Trachinotus falcatus) seed for local marine fish farmers.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s squid and octopus exports maintained a strong recovery in the first five months of 2026, reaching more than USD 302 million, up 17% compared to the same period in 2025. Growth was primarily driven by Asian markets, including South Korea, Japan, Thailand, and China, while exports to the United States and the European Union continued to face headwinds from cautious consumer demand and increasingly stringent compliance requirements.
Vietnamese seafood giant Minh Phu Group has inaugurated a VND1.5 trillion (US$57.4 million) seafood processing plant in Ca Mau Province.
(vasep.com.vn) From 19–21 August 2026, the Vietnam International Seafood Exhibition (Vietfish 2026) will take place at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) in Ho Chi Minh City. Under the theme "Innovation – Sustainability", Vietfish 2026 continues to serve as Vietnam's flagship annual seafood event, bringing together seafood producers, exporters, importers, buyers, industry experts, government agencies, and stakeholders from across the domestic and global seafood value chain.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports maintained strong growth momentum in May 2026, reaching USD 14 million, up 18% compared with the same month last year. Cumulative export value for the first five months of 2026 totaled USD 62 million, representing a remarkable 101% increase over the same period in 2025, highlighting the sector’s strong recovery in international markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tuna exports reached USD 367 million in the first five months of 2026, down 7% compared to the same period in 2025. While the decline is not yet severe, the more concerning issue is that pressure is mounting in key markets such as the United States and the European Union, just as ocean freight rates are rising sharply on long-haul routes. The current situation is therefore not merely about slower orders, but rather a clear restructuring phase for Vietnam’s tuna industry.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The year 2026 marks a period of strong growth for Vietnam’s tilapia industry, but it is also a time when international export competition is becoming increasingly intense. Vietnam’s tilapia exports reached USD 99 million in 2025, up 140% compared to the previous year. In the first four months of 2026 alone, export value reached USD 49 million, a 151% increase year-on-year. As global demand for affordable whitefish continues to rise, Vietnam is emerging as a noteworthy competitor to traditional tilapia powerhouses such as China, Indonesia, Brazil, and Egypt.
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