In particular, free trade agreements with Russia and Europe will help Vietnam exports with reduced tax.
Currently, Vietnam is negotiating with the EU in the framework of FTA known as EVFTA. Reportedly, the most recent, the 11th negotiation round took place in Brussels, Belgium in from 19th to 23rd January 2015. Significant progress has been made in this session. Tax on pangasius as well as other seafood was agreed to be strongly cut. The European countries are demanding markets with tariff barriers and strict regulations of sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) on imported seafood. Enterprises, therefore, expect much from this FTA to boast pangasius exports to these markets.
It is expected that the negotiation will finish this year. Currently, average tariff on frozen fish fillets (HS code 0304) is 6.88%, and tariff on frozen pangasius fillets is 5.5%. In 2014, Vietnam pangasius exports to the EU valued at US$ 344.29 million, down nearly 11% compared to 2013. The EU now accounts for 19.5% of total Vietnam pangasius export turnover. Despite declines in recent years, Vietnam, holding over 95% of the market share, maintained its position as the leading pangasius and catfish provider and in top 12 frozen fish fillets (HS code 0304) to the EU in 2014.
With EVFTA, tariff and non-tariff barriers will be lifted, giving processors from Vietnam more opportunities to expand markets, import materials from the third for processing and re-exporting to the EU.
Beside exempting most taxes (90% of all taxes) in 7 years, EVFTA will support Vietnamese businesses with investments and technical transfer to sustainably access the EU market and attract foreign more investments into Vietnam. According to experts, as tax rates stay lower than 3% or 4%, Vietnam will get more benefits against other competitors. Currently, frozen fish fillets from Vietnam exported to the EU are levied at 5.5%, which will decrease after EVFTA takes effect.
Negotiation for Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the Customs Union, including 3 countries namely Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, is also expected to end negotiation rounds this year. At least 80% of goods from Vietnam exported to Russia, including fisheries products will be tax-exempted. Currently Russia is imposing tax of 5.63% on frozen pangasius fillets from Vietnam. In 2014, Vietnam pangasius exports to Russia valued US$ 33.24 million, down from 2013. Russia accounts for 1.88% of the of total pangasius export turnover of Vietnam. Meanwhile, exports to Belarus and Kazakhstan both increased from 2013, valued at US$ 2.09 million and US$ 3.14 million, respectively. The proportion of exports to these markets was not high. The former accounted for 0.12% and the latter made up 0.18%.
In brief, Vietnam seafood exports will benefit from the FTAs, at least for the European market and Customs Union as taxes are lower while China, Thailand, Norway are still subject to high tariffs.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On July 9, 2026, the Embassy of Vietnam in Brazil organized the seminar titled “Sharing Information on Vietnam-Brazil Economic, Trade and Investment Relations in the First Half of 2026” to provide updates on bilateral cooperation and strengthen connections among government agencies, industry associations, and business communities of the two countries.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood exports in the first 6 months of the year continued to be a bright spot with a total turnover of 5.7 billion USD, an increase of 11.4% compared to the same period last year. By commodity group, seafood is one of the three groups with a trade balance in the first 6 months of 2026 in a surplus state with 4.13 billion USD, an increase of 17%.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) For many years, Vietnam’s seafood industry has been recognized as one of the country’s key export pillars. Products such as shrimp, pangasius, tuna, squid, octopus, and a wide range of other seafood have reached hundreds of markets worldwide. Yet behind these impressive export figures lies a significant challenge: a substantial share of Vietnam’s seafood export value still comes from minimally processed products, contract manufacturing, and raw material exports—segments characterized by low profit margins and high vulnerability to fluctuations in global prices.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the context of a global economy shifting powerfully toward green and sustainable values, Vietfish 2026 is far more than just a commercial trade fair. It has become a strategic rendezvous and a "comprehensive ecosystem"—a convergence of value, knowledge, and sustainable growth opportunities for the entire industry chain.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports to Colombia continued their strong upward momentum in May 2026. Export value to the market reached USD 4 million, up 24% compared to the same month in 2025. Cumulative exports in the first five months of 2026 totaled USD 24 million, an impressive 48% increase year-on-year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Hai Phong's aquaculture sector is accelerating the adoption of high technologies in aquaculture to adapt to climate change, with red tilapia and tilapia identified as the key cultured species for priority development.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached nearly US$1.1 billion in June 2026, up 21.0% year-on-year. Cumulative exports in the first half of 2026 totaled nearly US$5.8 billion, representing a 12.8% increase compared with the same period last year. Exports to China and Hong Kong continued to accelerate, while shipments to the United States rebounded strongly in June. In contrast, exports to the EU, Japan, and the Middle East remained sluggish or recorded slight declines.
(vasep.com.vn) Tilapia is playing an increasingly important role in Vietnam’s aquaculture sector, driven not only by growing market opportunities but also by its ability to meet increasingly stringent requirements on quality, food safety, and traceability. In practice, tilapia farming in Vietnam is not a spontaneous or loosely regulated activity; rather, it operates under a comprehensive legal and technical framework covering the entire value chain—from hatcheries and farming to processing and exports.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached USD 1.9 billion in the first five months of 2026, up 12% compared with the same period last year. Amid continued volatility in the global seafood market, this result demonstrates that the shrimp sector has maintained positive growth momentum, supported by improving demand in several Asian markets, particularly China.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On June 16, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Ca Mau Province announced that the locality has established a farming area code for nearly 30,400 hectares of mud crab aquaculture and granted export facility codes to five enterprises eligible to export mud crab officially to markets such as China, Cambodia, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
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