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
(vasep.com.vn) On November 11, 2026, in Can Tho, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) will organize the Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026) under the theme “Seafood Market Outlook 2027–2029: Opportunities and Headroom for Double-Digit Export Growth.”
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Business leader Do Ngoc Tai, General Director of Tai Kim Anh Seafood Processing Joint Stock Company, was honored by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) with the title “Outstanding Vietnamese Entrepreneur – Thanh Giong Cup 2026” at a ceremony celebrating Vietnam Entrepreneurs’ Day (October 13). The event took place on the evening of October 11, 2026, at the National Convention Center in Hanoi.
(vasep.com.vn) The global tilapia market is becoming increasingly segmented, not only among producing countries but also by product type and destination market. Supply is divided into groups with distinct competitive advantages: large volumes of whole fish and frozen fillets from Asia, high-value fresh fillets from Latin America, and substantial domestic consumption in several major producing countries.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tuna exports to the UK grew in the first eight months of 2026, despite signs of slowing import demand in the market. However, sharp fluctuations in orders, competition from major suppliers, and new traceability requirements are creating challenges for Vietnamese exporters.
(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.
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