The main seafood products exported to the Middle East market include pangasius, accounting for 44%, tuna accounting for nearly 30%, shrimp accounting for 16%, other marine fish and octopus accounted for 10%.
Notably, pangasius is also the item with the highest export value to the Middle East and the strongest increase in the past 11 months, with nearly 127 million USD, up 66% over the same period last year. This market accounts for nearly 6% of Vietnam's pangasius exports in 2022.
Frozen pangasius fillets with HS code 0304 accounted for 91% of pangasius export value to Middle East countries, frozen whole pangasius with HS code 03 accounted for 8%, the remaining nearly 1% was processed pangasius.
The top 3 markets in the Middle East region, importing the most Vietnamese pangasius include Egypt, UAE and Saudi Arabia. The biggest increase was Saudi Arabia with over 19 million USD, up 165% in the first 11 months of the year. Pangasius exports to Egypt and the UAE increased by 35% and 30% respectively over the same period last year, reaching $35 million and $29 million.
In 2022, the Russia-Ukraine war, the limited oil supply from Russia is an opportunity for Middle Eastern countries to make profits, so the region's economy is still growing optimistically and growing higher than 2021. Although also suffering from high inflation, in general, the food consumption demand of Middle Eastern countries will not be affected as badly as other markets. That is a good sign for Vietnamese seafood enterprises to promote exports to the Middle East.
Economists forecast that the Middle East region's economy in 2023 will slow down, because oil prices and the oil market are more optimistic than this year. Therefore, the general trend of markets, including Middle Eastern countries, is not to be as active as the first half of 2022.
However, for pangasius exporters, Middle East countries are still a very promising destination next year because demand is forecasted to be more stable than other markets.
Compiled by Thuy Linh
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached $989.5 million in November 2025, up 64.6% year-on-year. The robust monthly performance played a pivotal role in driving the total export turnover for the first 11 months of 2025 to $10.5 billion, representing a 19% increase compared with the same period in 2024.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s crab exports reached USD 81 million in the first 11 months of 2025, with the United States accounting for more than 82% of total value. While newly imposed reciprocal tariffs and the enforcement of provisions under the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) pose significant challenges for Vietnam, the European Union is emerging as a promising growth market.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The Ca Mau Department of Agriculture and Environment has recently issued a plan to develop specialized crab raw material zones serving official export channels, covering a scale of around 50,000 hectares. This marks a significant shift in the sea crab industry towards professional production aligned with market requirements.
(seafood.vasep.comvn) According to the Tay Ninh Statistics Office, fisheries output in the province fell significantly in November 2025 due to the impact of storms and heavy rainfall, which delayed harvesting activities, particularly for pangasius.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The year 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the United States (1995–2025). In parallel with the nation's progress in international economic integration, bilateral seafood trade has followed a remarkably impressive growth trajectory, expanding from an initial scale of just tens of millions of US dollars to nearly $2 billion annually. This growth has positioned the United States as Vietnam’s largest seafood export market for many consecutive years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On December 12, 2025, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Processing and Export (VASEP) issued document 231/CV-VASEP regarding strengthening measures to combat IUU fishing and working with the Government to lift the EC's IUU yellow card warning.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Tilapia is easy to farm and provides high economic and nutritional value, making it a sought-after export commodity in many countries.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports in the first 10 months of 2025 recorded significant progress, reaching more than USD 9.5 billion, up 15% year-on-year. This result reflects the sector’s persistent efforts amid a highly volatile market, especially policy shocks from the US Although signs of slowdown emerged in the third quarter due to countervailing taxes, key product groups still maintained strong momentum and created a foundation for full-year exports to reach USD 11 billion.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s agreement with the United States on a framework for reciprocal, fair, and balanced trade—reached during the 2025 ASEAN Summit in Malaysia—has generated strong optimism for Vietnamese exports, including tuna. Numerous positive points in the joint statement have raised high expectations for Vietnamese export goods, but turning these expectations into tangible benefits remains a long and challenging journey.
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