(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to data from Vietnam Customs, in March 2025, Vietnam’s pangasius exports reached USD 182 million, up 21% from the previous month and 16% year-on-year. Robust demand from Vietnam’s two key export destinations - the United States and China - continues to play a pivotal role in driving the outbound flow of pangasius products beyond national borders.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) One of the main drivers of growth in the tilapia industry today is the increasing demand for affordable protein sources, as consumers continue to prioritize healthier diets, positioning tilapia as a preferred choice.

The United States is the world’s largest importer of tilapia, while China remains the leading global exporter of this species. However, facing a tariff rate as high as 150%, Chinese tilapia is rapidly losing access to the U.S. market. This development presents a significant opportunity for other exporting countries, including Vietnam, to expand their market share in the U.S. in the coming period.

On the morning of April 17, in Can Tho City, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), in collaboration with the Directorate of Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance under the Can Tho Department of Agriculture and Environment, successfully organized the seminar titled “Solutions for organizing tilapia production and export in 2025.”

In 2024, Vietnam’s seafood exports exceeded 10 billion USD, with key buyers including China, the US, Japan, the EU, and the Republic Korea. The momentum continued in the first quarter of 2025, with a value of 2.29 billion USD, rising 18.1% year-on-year.

According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), in the first two months of 2025, Vietnam's shrimp exports recorded positive signs with strong growth in a number of important markets, of which lobster exports to China increased sharply.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to Vietnam Customs, the country’s pangasius exports regained growth momentum in February 2025. Export value reached USD 150 million, marking a 66% increase compared to February 2024. Cumulative pangasius export revenue for the first two months of the year totaled USD 284 million, up 11% year-on-year.

Looking back at the period from 2022 to 2024, crab exports to China have shown significant fluctuations. In 2022, China imported over 62 million USD worth of crabs, averaging 5-9 million USD per month, indicating a stable import demand from China. However, in 2023, exports sharply dropped to 13.3 million USD, averaging only 1-2 million USD per month, due to China's tighter quarantine controls and weakening consumption demand.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2024, Vietnam's seafood sector successfully exported to numerous countries, reaching a milestone of USD 10 billion, a 12% increase compared to 2023. 2025 promises to be a prospective year for promoting exports to various markets, including target and potential markets such as the US, China, ASEAN, and the Middle East.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Another year of pride for Vietnam's pangasius exports has concluded, reaching over USD 2 billion and contributing 20% to Vietnam's total seafood export turnover.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to Vietnam Customs data, Vietnam’s crab exports have been growing steadily since the beginning of 2024. Just in June 2024 alone, the import value increased by 71% compared to the same period in 2023, reaching $28 million. In the first 6 months of 2024, the cumulative export turnover reached $125 million, up 75%.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to Vietnam Customs data, in Q2/2024, Vietnam's pangasius exports to the Chinese and Hong Kong markets reached $146 million, up 6.5% compared to the same period in 2023. Hong Kong alone imported over $7 million worth of pangasius from Vietnam, down 11% compared to the same period last year.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first half of 2024, seafood exports reached nearly $4.4 billion, an increase of nearly 6% compared to the same period in 2023. Of this, shrimp exports accounted for over 37% at $1.64 billion, pangasius accounted for 21% at over $918 million, tuna accounted for 10.7% at $471 million, cephalopod accounted for 6.6% at $289 million, and other types of finfish accounted for nearly 20% at $865 million. Most of the major products saw an increase in export value compared to the same period last year: shrimp and pangasius increased slightly by 6% and 5% respectively, crab and swimming crab exports saw the strongest growth at 75%, and tuna exports increased by 23%. On the other hand, cephalopod exports declined slightly by 1% and other types of finfish declined by nearly 6%.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to data from Vietnam Customs, in May 2024, Vietnam's pangasius export turnover reached 167 million USD, an increase of 5% compared to May 2023. Cumulative pangasius exports in the first 5 months of this year reached 747 million USD, up 2% over the same period last year.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Statistics from China Customs show that, in the first 8 months of 2023, the country imported over 85 thousand tons of fresh/live seafood, an increase of 16% over the same period in 2022. Average prices also increased by 15% over the same period last year. The above parameters show that China's domestic consumption in the fresh/live seafood segment has clearly recovered after the Chinese Government lifted restrictions related to the Covid epidemic.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Due to the wastewater release, Chinese people are hesitant to consume even domestically caught seafood in some waters near Japan. Therefore, the import demand of seafood in China will increase, including Vietnam.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In May 2022, Vietnam's shrimp export turnover reached 457 million USD, an increase of 31% compared to the same period last year. Accumulating the first five months of 2022, Vietnam's shrimp export turnover went up 41% in comparison to the same period last year, to 1.9 billion USD. In May, the growth rate of Vietnam's shrimp exports to the US slowed down while exports to China went up.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In April 2022, Vietnam seafood exports continued to bring in over 1 billion USD with strong growth of 41% over the same period in 2021. Accordingly, total Vietnam seafood export for the first 4 months of the year is expected to reach $3.6 billion, 44.5% higher than the same period last year.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Although China is still steadfast with the Zero COVID policy and many major seafood centers are blocked, Vietnam's seafood exports to China in the first quarter still doubled compared to the same period in 2021, reaching 326 million USD.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first two months of 2022, Vietnam seafood exports to China & Hong Kong nearly doubled over the same period last year, reaching 170 million USD. In which, pangasius was the most breakthrough, increased by 240%, crabs increased by 198%, cephalopod increased by 146%.