The above breakthrough growth is not an optimistic signal because in September 2021, due to the impact of the Covid pandemic, pangasius exports dropped to the lowest level. Moreover, every September should be the peak season with many orders for year-end and New Year holidays, but this year, pangasius turnover in September is 15% lower than August. China, Mexico, Brazil, UK, Canada, the Netherlands, Colombia all have pangasius imports 17-36% lower than in August.
However, there are still some markets with higher export turnover than in August. These are Australia, up 11%, Singapore up 22%, Saudi Arabia 32%, France 86% .
Accumulating the first 9 months of 2022, the country's pangasius exports reached nearly 2 billion USD, up 83% over the same period last year. In which, frozen pangasius fillets/cuts with HS code 0304 reached over 1.7 billion USD, accounting for 87%. Fresh pangasius HS code 03 accounted for 12%, reaching 235 million USD, the rest were processed products accounted for 2% with 138 million USD.
China & HongKong accounted for 30% of pangasius export turnover in the first 3 quarters of the year with US$ 589 million, up 111% over the same period. The proportion of the US tends to decrease gradually, accounting for 23% with 454 million USD. According to statistics from the US Department of Commerce, in the first 8 months of 2022, the US imported over 96 thousand tons of frozen pangasius fillets (HS code 030462), worth over US$405 million, up 26% in volume and 95% in value. The average import price of frozen pangasius fillets to the US in the first 8 months of 2022 reached $4.21/kg, up 54% over the same period last year.
Although exports to the EU still more than doubled over the same period, this market only accounts for 8% of total pangasius exports with nearly 160 million USD. In which, the top 3 markets in this block include the Netherlands, accounting for 2.2% with over 44 million USD, followed by Germany with over 21 million USD and Belgium with nearly 16 million USD.
The CPTPP bloc accounted for 13% of pangasius exports in the first 9 months of 2022 with nearly $260 million, an increase of 80% over the same period last year. The prominent markets in the bloc are Mexico, accounting for 4.3% with nearly 85 million USD, Canada accounting for 2.4%, reaching more than 47 million USD, Australia accounting for 1.6% reaching 30.5 million USD, followed by Singapore with over 28 million USD, accounting for 1.4%.
Pangasius exports are expected to increase in October, often called “the peak season” as importers often increase imports to serve for the end-year holidays. Currently, the supply of raw pangasius in many localities is decreasing, and the price of raw fish is increasing. Hopefully, demand will recover and the price of pangasius will stabilize or increase again, so that pangasius in 2022 can reach the record value of $2.5 billion, up 54% compared to 2021.
Compiled by Thuy Linh
(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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