2016 was a year marked challenges and breakthroughs in both supply and export market conditions.
The most notable market challenge of 2016 came in April, when the US, which is Vietnam’s largest market accounting for 23 per cent of exports, implemented transitional enforcement of the “Catfish Inspection Programme”. This new programme, which will take away regulatory responsibility from the FDA and pass it to the USDA, comes with a myriad of new regulations and an equivalency requirement of the exporting countries’ inspection authority to that of the USA. These unprecedented changes have caused tremendous confusion throughout the global seafood industry.
On the supply side, March marked the most devastating drought the Mekong River Delta witnessed in the past century, bringing forth unfavourable salinity levels. These conditions forced smaller harvesting windows, causing abnormal spikes in raw material pricing. Vietnamese pangasius farmers will remember 2016 as the year marked by many erratic and unexpected fluctuations.
Nevertheless, industry performance stayed strong, with high growth in major markets (for example the US: 22.2 per cent, and China: 84.4 per cent). China even surpassed Europe to become the second largest importer of Vietnamese pangasius, accounting for 17 per cent of the total export. Total production volume in 2016 was estimated at 1.2 million tonnes, up 9 per cent year-on-year; and the farming acreage increased to 5,000 hectares. After the sluggish period from 2008-2015 with an annual growth rate of merely 1 per cent, the industry for the first time saw a recovery in 2016 with a 6.6 per cent growth rate.
With nearly a 20-year experience in the industry, Vinh Hoan continues to set higher targets and long-term strategies to capture the market opportunities. In the face of these supply and market challenges, Vinh Hoan continued its long track record of stable growth and continued to lay the foundation in innovative market strategies, new product development and sustainable farming techniques.
Besides increasing its foothold in existing markets, the company’s successful market strategy allowed it to open direct sales channels and forge into new markets. During 2016, it entered 5 new markets, increasing its total sales network to 170 customers in over 40 countries. Mexico and China reported a high-record year-on-year growth of 73 and 137 per cent, respectively; and the most notable direct sale channel opened up with the first sale of pangasius fillets to Mercadona- Spain’s largest retailer.
In 2016, a range of new value-added products were introduced, notably the basa teriyaki - its first ready-to-eat product. In December, the first “Vinh Foods” branded product was debuted to Spanish consumers.
In terms of sustainable farming, Vinh Hoan’s self-supply ratio reached nearly 65 per cent and saw total ASC-certified farm area reaching 115ha, the largest of that in Vietnam.
Also, with the establishment of Vinh Aquaculture - a division specialised in sustainable farming, Vinh Hoan will deepen the research and development into eco-friendly and economically sustainable aquaculture at a larger scale to satisfy increasingly rigorous technical requirements from importing countries.
With these all-encompassing approaches, Vinh Hoan has maintained its annual export growth rate at 12 per cent for the last 5 years. For 2017, Vinh Hoan targets 15 per cent growth in pangasius exports and $5 million in value-added products revenue, a 50 per cent increase on 2016.
Source: VIR
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Nearly US$1.7 billion is the projected gap in 2029 between the baseline scenario and a scenario in which Vietnam’s seafood exports grow by 10% annually, according to calculations by VASEP to be presented at Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026. This gap raises a key question for the entire industry: Which markets, products and supply chain improvements will generate the additional growth?
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Although Germany’s tuna imports have declined, Vietnam’s tuna exports to the market continue to show positive signs. Notably, export value recovered strongly in Q3/2026, and German import data also show Vietnamese products strengthening their position amid competition among suppliers.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood exports are holding double-digit growth, but the opportunities are not spread evenly across product groups and markets. As businesses draw up their plans for 2027, Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS2026) offers a chance to look ahead together: what to sell, where to sell it, and how to prepare for growth in the coming years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) With less than two weeks to go, the Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026) will officially take place in Can Tho. Under the theme “Seafood Market Outlook 2027–2029 – Opportunities and Potential for Double-Digit Export Growth,” the Summit is organized by VASEP at a time when seafood businesses are facing rapid market shifts, changing buyer demand, trade policy changes and growing competitive pressure all at once.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On October 28, 2026, the China Fisheries & Seafood Expo opened in Qingdao, China. The expo takes place over three days from October 28 to 30, 2026. This is a prestigious specialized seafood exhibition organized annually by Sea Fare Exposition Inc.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first nine months of 2026, Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the CPTPP bloc reached $7 million, marking a 51% year-on-year increase. The bloc rstands as the fourth-largest market for Vietnamese tilapia, trailing Brazil, the US, and Saudi Arabia.
(vasep.com.vn) VASEP has officially announced the program for Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026), featuring five in-depth sessions covering industry outlooks, trade barriers, buyer demand, the domestic market, and solutions to improve productivity and reduce costs across the seafood value chain.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached US$3.7 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 11% year on year. Although growth has been supported by China and several markets within the CPTPP, momentum is slowing as exports to the United States and the European Union decline. Tariff pressures, international competition, and raw material challenges are creating significant hurdles for exporters in the final months of the year.
(vasep.com.vn) Markets are changing faster, buyer requirements are becoming more demanding, and trade barriers are growing increasingly complex. In this environment, seafood businesses need more than an understanding of current market conditions. They need a longer-term perspective to answer a critical question: Where will growth opportunities come from in 2027–2029, and what should businesses do now to prepare? This is one of the key reasons why VASEP is organizing Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East reached US$113 million, up 7% year on year from the same period in 2025. Growth has become more pronounced in recent months. In August alone, exports to the region totaled US$20 million, an increase of 24%. This indicates that demand for Vietnamese pangasius in the Middle East is gradually recovering after a slowdown in March, although the pace of recovery varies across markets.
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