Monthly export dynamics Exports to Brazil fluctuated significantly during the first half of the year. While January saw a 47% expansion, February and March experienced sharp contractions of 27% and 41%, respectively. April and May posted moderate to marginal recoveries of 13% and 2%, respectively, before retreating by 11% in June. By the close of the first half, cumulative turnover stood at $88 million, trailing the previous year's figure by 6%. Exports rebounded from July, generating approximately $17 million - a 63% year-over-year increase - and further expanded to $19 million in August. Two consecutive months of growth pushed cumulative exports for the first eight months into positive territory.
Vietnam maintains a strategic position in Brazil’s seafood supply
The recovery of Vietnam’s pangasius exports unfolds against a backdrop of Brazil’s substantial reliance on imported seafood. According to ABRAPES, the Brazilian Association for the Promotion of Aquaculture, Vietnam accounted for 24.8% of Brazil’s seafood import volume, positioning it as the second-largest supply partner. This underscores the significant and entrenched role of Vietnamese supply within the Brazilian seafood market. By species, pangasius constitutes 19.8% of total volume, ranking second only to salmon (40.8%). Vietnam’s supply complements domestic production and contributes to diversifying the supply of fish fillets available to Brazilian consumers.
Strong demand coupled with stringent regulatory requirements Demand for pangasius in Brazil is predominantly concentrated in the frozen fillet segment. In 2025, Brazil’s pangasius imports surged by 22% in value and 16% in volume year-over-year, making pangasius the country’s second-largest imported farmed fish species after salmon. Concurrently, the competitive landscape among supplying nations is intensifying, accompanied by heightened scrutiny over import regulations. Imported seafood products must comply with Brazil’s regulations on food safety and hygiene, approved lists of establishments eligible to export, registration with the relevant authorities and sanitary certification requirements. In light of these dynamics, the growth momentum sustained through July and August serves as a highly positive indicator for Vietnam's pangasius export sector. Moving forward, enterprises must continuously monitor localized purchasing power, supply-side competition, and shifts in Brazil's regulatory frameworks to proactively optimize their export strategies for the final months of the year.
(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.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tuna exports sustained their upward trajectory in August 2026, though the pace remained modest at just 2%. The month saw divergent trends across key markets: the US maintained its leading position, Japan and Canada improved, Russia surged and the EU continued to experience a steep downturn. These developments suggest that exporters are entering the final months of the year amid a market environment marked by greater uncertainty.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Congalsa has acquired the entire charter capital of Lenger Seafood Vietnam, giving it full ownership of the business and its Nam Dinh processing facility.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Ninh Binh Province is entering a peak period of action against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, focusing on thoroughly addressing violations, closely monitoring fishing vessels at ports and preventing vessels from violating regulations and operating illegally in foreign waters ahead of the European Commission’s (EC) upcoming inspection in 2026.
(vasep.com.vn) The application of biotechnology in seed production is increasingly viewed as a strategic imperative to upgrade pangasius fingerling quality, optimize farming efficiency and anchor sustainable industry development.
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