What opportunities lie ahead for Vietnam’s seafood exports in 2026?

In Q1/2026, Vietnam’s seafood exports reached USD 2.64 billion, up 14.4% year-on-year. Several key product groups recovered positively, while the export structure also showed clear shifts. Shrimp remained the largest export category, exceeding USD 1 billion and accounting for 40.4% of total export value. Pangasius reached nearly USD 514 million, up 16.8%. Squid, octopus, bivalve mollusks, crab, swimming crab, and other niche products also recorded solid growth. Notably, segments such as lobster, tilapia, scallops, and oysters grew strongly, indicating room for expansion in high-value products and the industry’s ability to respond quickly to market demand. By contrast, tuna continued to face difficulties, reflecting weaker demand in several key markets and growing pressure from fishing, traceability, and compliance regulations.

The market landscape in the first quarter also showed notable movements. China and Hong Kong continued to be the strongest growth driver, with export value exceeding USD 744 million, up 49%, particularly in fresh, live, and high-value products such as lobster, live crab, and some marine fish. Japan remained a stable market, although growth was modest. ASEAN and CPTPP markets continued to offer opportunities thanks to tariff advantages and demand for flexible, reasonably priced products. Meanwhile, exports to the US fell by 7.4%, and exports to the EU increased only slightly, reflecting the impact of policy factors, cautious consumer sentiment, and growing competitive pressure.

In 2026, opportunities remain for Vietnam’s seafood industry, but they are conditional opportunities. Global seafood demand generally persists, especially in highly import-dependent markets such as the US, EU, Japan, and China. Opportunities also come from the restructuring of global consumption, as buyers increasingly prefer processed, convenient, high-utility products with clear origin. Free trade agreements such as CPTPP, EVFTA, and UKVFTA continue to create room for Vietnamese enterprises to improve competitiveness if they effectively utilize rules of origin, tariff preferences, and market requirements. At the same time, supply shortages in certain regions, particularly for whitefish, mollusks, and some high-quality seafood products, are creating additional space for Vietnamese seafood to expand market share.

However, competitive pressure is becoming increasingly fierce from major suppliers such as Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Thailand, and Canada, especially in product groups where Vietnam has strengths, including shrimp, whitefish, and high-value seafood. A second major challenge is the growing density of technical, trade, and environmental barriers: US anti-dumping duties on shrimp, MMPA regulations, COA requirements, import traceability programs, the EU’s new electronic catch certification system, and the fact that Vietnam’s IUU yellow card has not yet been lifted. A third challenge comes from consumer markets themselves: buyers in the US, EU, and Japan are becoming more price-sensitive while also demanding higher standards for quality, convenience, environmental responsibility, and social compliance.

In this context, VASEP publishes the Report ON Vietnam seafood export, Q1/2026 to provide a comprehensive, updated, and systematic overview of the industry’s export performance in the first quarter. The report also offers in-depth analysis by product group, market, competitive trends, opportunities, challenges, and outlook for the coming quarters. We hope this report will serve as a useful reference for businesses, regulators, research institutions, and domestic and international partners in policymaking, business strategy development, and the promotion of sustainable growth for Vietnam’s seafood industry in a period of deeper integration, stronger competition, and higher demand for adaptability.

For registration information, please contact: Ms. Hai Yen Email: nguyenyen@vasep.com.vn Mobile: +84 8 5858 2626