Key shrimp export products from Vietnam to the UK include peeled and tail-off white leg shrimp, frozen white leg shrimp (PD), steamed or boiled frozen white leg shrimp, fresh or frozen white leg shrimp, and battered white leg shrimp.
In recent years, Vietnam's shrimp exports to the UK have been unstable, with fluctuations in growth. However, the UK is still considered an important market for Vietnamese shrimp, with various trade benefits in the bilateral trade relations between the two countries. From 2018 to 2024, shrimp exports to the UK peaked in 2020 with over 243 million USD, followed by a downward trend, reaching the lowest point in 2023. In 2024, shrimp exports to the UK showed signs of recovery, reaching over 212 million USD.
By January 2025, shrimp exports to the UK continued to maintain the growth momentum of 2024.
Currently, Vietnam has signed two new-generation Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with the United Kingdom: the CPTPP and the UKVFTA. The combination of these agreements provides favorable conditions for businesses in both countries to maximize trade and investment opportunities, including shrimp exports to the UK.
Shrimp accounts for approximately 10% of total seafood consumption in the UK. In the restaurant or foodservice sector, shrimp is a common ingredient, with around 61% of businesses in this sector using shrimp. Additionally, shrimp is popular in Indian and Chinese restaurants in the UK, used in dishes such as wraps, soups, dumplings, and spring rolls.
In the UK market, Vietnam remains the largest shrimp supplier. However, Vietnamese shrimp faces strong price competition from shrimp from India and Ecuador.
With the tariff advantages offered by the two FTAs, Vietnamese shrimp has a competitive edge over other trade partners such as China, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, India, Brazil, and others. To benefit from the preferential tariffs under the agreements, Vietnamese seafood products must prove their origin, meet sustainability standards, and adhere to social responsibility requirements.
UK consumers tend to choose products that meet high standards set by UK and EU authorities regarding product quality, origin, sustainability, environmental friendliness, and convenience. Therefore, to increase market share in the UK for seafood in general and shrimp in particular, Vietnamese products must meet the requirements for quality, packaging, appearance, and taste. Companies should also invest in improving production capacity, quality management, and carefully research the market's regulations and standards.
Top 5 Vietnamese Shrimp Exporters to the UK in 2024:
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first three months of 2026, Vietnam’s exports of fish cake and surimi reached USD 63 million, down 5% compared to the same period last year. Although total export value declined slightly due to decreases in some key markets, many other destinations continued to post strong growth, opening up room for this convenience-oriented processed segment in the coming quarters.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Favorable weather conditions in the early months of 2026 have brought encouraging signs for fisheries activities in Quang Tri. Output has grown steadily, contributing to improved livelihoods for local residents.
Entering 2026, Vietnam’s seafood industry is facing a period of both high expectations and mounting pressures. Following the positive recovery in 2025, production and export activities in Q1/2026 demonstrated the strong adaptability of Vietnam’s seafood business community amid continued global trade volatility, intensifying international competition, and increasingly stringent compliance requirements in import markets.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first quarter of 2026, Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached USD 1.069 billion, up 17.5% compared to the same period in 2025. This is a positive result amid an uneven global shrimp market recovery, intensifying competition among major suppliers, and continued volatility in the international trade environment. However, this growth does not reflect a broad-based recovery across the entire sector, but rather is driven mainly by strong performance in a few markets and specific product segments—most notably lobster exports to China.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tuna exports continued to decline in March 2026. Cumulatively, in the first three months of the year, export value reached USD 208 million, down 4% compared to the same period in 2025. The export landscape shows clear divergence across markets: while the U.S. and EU remain challenging, markets such as Russia, the Middle East, Egypt, the Philippines, and Mexico have emerged as growth bright spots.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In Quang Ngai Province, shrimp farming costs are rising sharply due to लगातार increases in feed, fuel, and input material prices, while farm-gate shrimp prices are declining. This has significantly reduced farmers’ profit margins and increased production risks.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports are experiencing impressive growth, reflecting expanding global demand as well as the sector’s development potential. However, behind the strong growth figures lie limitations in production capacity and supply chains, highlighting the need for sustainable development in the coming period.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East in 2025 and early 2026 have shown notable growth. However, escalating geopolitical tensions in the region have increasingly impacted export activities since March. This situation presents a challenge of balancing market expansion opportunities with rising trade risks.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The Quang Tri Department of Agriculture and Environment has instructed localities to base their stocking schedules on actual conditions in each farming area, while developing plans, allocating resources, and implementing synchronized measures for disease prevention and disaster risk management in aquaculture production.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first two months of 2026, Vietnam’s exports of fish cakes and surimi exceeded USD 45 million, up 7% compared to the same period in 2025, indicating a positive outlook for this product segment amid recovering demand in many markets.
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