Vietnam's pangasius exports: China slows down, CPTPP and South America become growth drivers

Vietnamese pangasius is gaining traction in Japan, where competitive prices and reliable supplies have helped the fish enter professional distribution channels and a major sushi chain.

(vasep.com.vn) A circular economy does not create a “new type of shrimp” or a new certification. Its value lies in helping the shrimp value chain use resources more efficiently, stabilize production, generate additional value from by-products and build the data and evidence needed to meet increasingly stringent market requirements. This was the perspective shared by VASEP at the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Forum on Promoting a Circular Economy in the Shrimp Industry in the Mekong Delta, held in Can Tho on September 21.

(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports to CPTPP markets reached $264 million in the first eight months of 2026, up 12% year-on-year and accounting for 17% of the nation’s total pangasius export turnover. In August alone, export value reached $34 million, inching up 3%.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Golden pompano is being selected as a high-value species for the development of high-tech marine aquaculture in Lam Dong Province. In 2026, the provincial Agricultural Extension Center launched a golden pompano farming model using circular HDPE cages in Lien Huong Commune, opening opportunities to apply technology to marine farming at a scale suited to local coastal conditions.

(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.