In the first eight months of 2025, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to China and Hong Kong saw a negative growth of 4% compared to the same period last year, reaching only $357 million and accounting for 25% of Vietnam’s total pangasius exports. In August alone, exports to this market also dropped by 4%, totaling $55 million.
CPTPP and South America emerge as growth pillars
The CPTPP bloc led the growth in Vietnam’s pangasius imports during the first 8 months of 2025, with export value reaching $242 million, up 36% year-on-year - the highest among all market groups. Japan, Canada, Mexico and Chile recorded stable demand, particularly for high-quality fillets and deeply processed products. The primary reason is the near-zero tariff benefits under the CPTPP agreement which gives Vietnamese pangasius a clear pricing edge over competing species such as pollock and tilapia. Additionally, these markets require clear quality standards and traceability that many Vietnamese enterprises have successfully met, thereby increasing the average order value.
Beyond CPTPP, South America is also proving to be an increasingly attractive destination. By the end of August 2025, exports to Brazil – considered the gateway to the region - reached $118 million, surging 54% compared to the previous year, driven by rising demand as a substitute for local tilapia and growing consumer familiarity with pangasius. Colombia and Chile maintain stable imports, further expanding Vietnam’s footprint in the region. Both CPTPP and South America not only offset the decline from China but also offer opportunities for higher profits through quality orders, better payment terms and higher margins. These two markets are emerging as the “twin growth engines” for Vietnamese pangasius.
Second half of 2025: A strategic window for market restructuring
In the second half of 2025, the supply of raw pangasius is tightening, while export prices show signs of recovery in Q4. This presents an opportunity for enterprises to exporters to contracts in fast-growing markets such as CPTPP and South America, capitalizing on the year-end holiday season. Meanwhile, the U.S and EU will continue to serve as stable markets with high sustainability standards, compelling the pangasius industry to elevate quality to maintain market share.
The ASEAN market also remains promising, with pangasius exports to Thailand reaching $52 million (+31%) and to the Philippines $26 million (+31%) in the first eight months of 2025.
If enterprises can consolidate their position across the three key pillars - CPTPP, South America and traditional markets U.S., EU, and ASEAN) - Vietnam’s pangasius industry will achieve a multi-polar market structure, reducing reliance on any single market and enhancing resilience against global trade fluctuations.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Speaking at the Opening Ceremony of VIETFISH 2026 on August 19 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), U.S. Consul General Melissa Brown highlighted the important role of the exhibition in connecting Vietnam’s growing seafood industry with buyers, suppliers, and partners from the United States and around the world.
(vasep.com.vn) Tomorrow, August 19, 2026, the Vietnam International Seafood Exhibition – Vietfish 2026 will officially open at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) in Ho Chi Minh City. Taking place over three days, from August 19–21, Vietfish 2026 promises to provide a dynamic platform for business networking, trend updates, product experiences and comprehensive cooperation across the domestic and international seafood community.
(vasep.com.vn) The global tilapia market continues to grow, creating significant opportunities for countries with strengths in aquaculture, processing, and exports. Against this backdrop, Vietnam’s tilapia industry is gradually developing toward higher quality, greater product diversification, and broader market reach. At Vietfish 2026, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), together with the VASEP Tilapia Producers and Exporters Club, will host a joint booth to promote the image and potential of Vietnamese tilapia to domestic and international buyers.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports are heading towards $12 billion this year, potentially the highest level on record. Yet one of the country’s export strengths is facing a growing list of challenges.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The first six months of 2026 indicate that Vietnam’s tilapia industry is entering a new phase of development, with strong export growth but also greater demands for production scale, quality and international competitiveness.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietfish 2026, the Vietnam International Seafood Exhibition, will officially take place from 19–21 August 2026 in Ho Chi Minh City. As Vietnam’s largest annual seafood trade event, organized by the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), Vietfish 2026 will once again bring together leading seafood companies, industry experts, and international partners from across the global seafood value chain.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached USD 1.1 billion in July 2026, up 4.8% compared to the same period in 2025. Cumulative exports in the first seven months of the year totaled nearly USD 6.86 billion, an increase of 11.5% year-on-year. Exceeding the USD 1 billion mark in July further reinforces the prospect that Vietnam’s seafood exports could surpass USD 12 billion in 2026. However, the July figures also send a clear signal that the most favorable growth period may have passed: overall export growth slowed to just 4.8%, pangasius exports fell 6.1%, tuna exports were virtually flat, while exports to the EU, South Korea, and the Middle East all recorded double-digit declines.
(vasep.com.vn) As part of the Vietnam Fisheries International Exhibition (Vietfish 2026), the seminar "Global Seafood Market and the Future Workforce: Trends, Opportunities, and Sustainable Development Pathways for Vietnam's Seafood Industry" will take place from 2:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. on August 19, 2026, at Convention Room B, Level 2, SECC, Ho Chi Minh City. This is the first of five specialized seminars at Vietfish 2026, focusing on key issues that are shaping the long-term development of Vietnam's seafood industry.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnamese seafood exports recorded impressive growth, generating nearly 6 billion USD in revenue during the first six months of the year, up 13% compared with the same period last year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Fishermen in Ha Tinh are gradually overcoming difficulties to maintain the efficiency of seafood exploitation. In the first six months of 2026, the entire province achieved a production of more than 23,000 tons of seafood, worth more than 1,200 billion VND.
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