(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The year 2025 marks a clear recovery for the global surimi industry, with strong growth momentum driven by major consuming markets in the Asia–Pacific region. In this context, Vietnam has emerged as a bright spot, as exports of fish paste and surimi reached over USD 257 million in the first nine months, up 26% compared to the same period in 2024.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s fish cake and surimi sector is experiencing an impressive year of growth. According to the latest statistics, total export value in the first 8 months of 2025 reached nearly $228 million, up 26% compared to the same period in 2024. This strong growth is driven not only by traditional markets but also by breakthroughs in potential markets such as the EU and China.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s fish cakes and surimi exports in the first seven months of 2025 showed impressive growth despite global market volatility. According to Vietnam Customs data, surimi exports in July alone reached over $30 million, increase 23% compared to the same period in 2024. This contributed to a total export turnover of more than $195 million for the period, a 28% increase compared to the same period in 2024.

(seafood.vasep.com) According to data from the Vietnam Customs Service, Vietnam exports of surimi and fishcake in the first six months of 2025 reached $164.94 million, reflecting a significant 28.7% increase compared to the same period in 2024. This notable growth occurred despite ongoing global trade uncertainties and sharp fluctuations in domestic raw material prices earlier in the year.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Amid Vietnam’s seafood sector’s ongoing shift toward value-added products, surimi – a processed and refined minced fish product – is emerging as a key player in the country’s export strategy. With abundant raw materials and increasingly sophisticated processing techniques, surimi has become a bright spot in Vietnam’s seafood exports, especially during challenging times like the present.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In April 2025, Vietnam’s exports of fish cakes and surimi continued their strong recovery, reaching nearly USD 29 million—an increase of 33% compared to the same period in 2024. Cumulatively, in the first four months of 2025, export value for this product group exceeded USD 109 million, up 32% year-on-year.

After a slow start in the first month of the quarter, Vietnam’s fish cake and surimi exports posted consecutive growth in the following two months, bringing total export value in Q1 2025 to over USD 80 million, up 31% year-on-year.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the final quarter of 2024, Vietnam’s surimi and fish cake exports showed consistent growth over the last three months. For the entire year 2024, exports of these products reached USD 298 million, down 2% compared to 2023. However, the final quarter saw more promising signs for the surimi and fish cake export sector, with some markets experiencing notable growth, such as Thailand, China, and Taiwan. Particularly, exports to Taiwan, which had seen continuous declines in the previous two quarters, surged by 301% in this quarter.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In July 2024, Vietnam's fish cake and surimi exports declined. The export value reached just over 24 million USD, down 3% over the same period. In the first 7 months of 2024, the cumulative export of this product group reached 152 million USD, down 13%.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to statistics from Vietnam Customs, Vietnam exports of surimi and fish cake continued to decline in May 2024. The export value in this month reached only over 23 million USD, down 25% compared to the same period in 2023. In the first five months of 2024, Vietnam's exports of surimi and fish cake reached over 106 million USD, down 15%.

Vietnam’s largest exporter of pangasius, Vinh Hoan Corporation, has invested in surimi production, including raw material blocks and crab sticks.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam's fish cake and surimi exports are still weak in Q2/2024. Fish cake and surimi exports decreased 11% in April compared to the same month the previous year, according to data from Vietnam Customs. Exports of this product totaled approximately $83 million in the first four months of this year, which is 12% less than the same time previous year.

Exports of surimi and fish cake from Vietnam continued to decline in the first quarter of 2024.The export value of this product group reached nearly USD 20 million, down 25% compared to the same period in the previous year. Accumulated export turnover in the first three months of the year reached nearly USD 57 million, down 18% compared to the same period in 2023.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2023, Vietnam's fish paste and surimi export turnover was estimated at 303 million USD, down 27% compared to 2022. In the past five years, Vietnam's fish paste and surimi industry earned from 300-420 million USD each year, including surimi from marine fish and pangasius, accounting for 4%-5% of the country's total seafood exports.

Representatives of firms gathered to discuss how to improve the value and quality of surimi and fishmeal products which bring high export turnover