CPTPP accounts for 28% of seafood exports
After the CPTPP came into effect, Vietnam's seafood exports to this market group grew by nearly 3% in 2019, of which exports to Japan and Australia all increased by 6%, to Brunei by 10%, and to Malaysia and Peru increased slightly by 1%.
In 2020 and 2021, seafood exports to the CPTPP bloc decreased by 2%, mainly due to the impact of Covid affecting trade and reducing import demand. Accordingly, exports to Japan decreased by 3% and 7% respectively in 2 years, which was the main reason for the decrease in total exports to this bloc.
However, exports to Canada, Australia, Malaysia, Mexico and New Zealand have been quite positive in the past 2 years. In which, seafood exports to Australia maintained positive growth for 3 consecutive years: increasing by 6%, 10% and 22% respectively. Exports to Canada in 2020 increased sharply by 14%, but in 2021, it decreased slightly by 2% due to the Covid epidemic causing increased freight rates, lack of shipping containers to North America. Exports to New Zealand increased sharply by 20% and 18% in 2 years 2020 - 2021. Exports to Mexico soared 65%, to Brunei increased 34% in 2021.
With a turnover of $2.2-2.3 billion per year, the position of the CPTPP bloc is more evident when its share in Vietnam's total seafood export turnover increased from 25% in 2018 to nearly 28. % in 2021.
Thanks to the EVFTA, exports to the EU are stable despite the Covid-19 epidemic
Vietnam's seafood exports to the EU in 2020 decreased by 26% to about 960 million USD, the main reason was due to Brexit, the UK leaving the market. The UK is a large import market of this block with seafood import turnover from Vietnam from 280 to 340 million USD/year. Therefore, if only counting EU27 (except for the UK), exports to this bloc in 2020 will not decrease. In the context of Covid and the IUU yellow card, stable exports to the EU show that the clear impact of the EVFTA agreement has boosted exports to this market.
In the first 9 months of this year, seafood exports to the EU market increased by nearly 4% to reach 744 million USD, in the context of Covid strongly affecting the logistics of trade, especially the supply chain in the third quarter. The current positive trend is probably partly due to the boost from preferential tariffs under the EVFTA.
In the first 7 months of 2021, shrimp and seafood exports to the EU and many CPTPP countries increased sharply thanks to higher demand after better control of Covid-19, maintaining a stable source of raw materials for export and application. Preferential tax on goods with domestic raw materials.
Shrimp exports to the EU in the first 7 months of the year increased by 26%. Total seafood products exported to the EU increased by 23%, only decreased in some species imported for processing and export such as cod, pollock... due to the impact of logistics issues on the import of raw materials for processing and export. public, production. Pangasius exports to the EU decreased by 13% due to high input costs (especially logistics, containers, sea) while export prices did not increase.
From August to now, exports have decreased continuously due to a strong outbreak of Covid-19 in Ho Chi Minh City and 19 southern provinces, affecting domestic raw material production, reducing the opportunity to take advantage of tariff preferences.
It is forecast that seafood exports to the EU in the fourth quarter will decrease slightly by 2.5% and in 2021 will reach about 1 billion USD, up 4%. It is forecasted that exports to the CPTPP in the fourth quarter will reach about 600 million USD, down 5% and the whole year 2021 will reach about 2.16 billion USD, down 3%.
(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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