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) 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) In the first quarter of 2025, Vietnam’s shrimp exports to the European Union (EU) reached over USD 107 million, marking a 33% year-on-year increase and signaling a strong start to the year. The growth was driven by the recovery of demand in Europe, the proactive adaptation of Vietnamese exporters in diversifying their product portfolios, and the effective utilization of preferential tariffs under the EVFTA.

(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.

According to several raw shrimp traders and seafood processing and export enterprises in the province, immediately after the United States announced a 90-day suspension of countervailing duties, reducing the tariff from 46% to 10%, raw shrimp prices in the market have begun to stabilize and slightly rebound, with increases ranging from VND 5,000 to VND 10,000 per kilogram depending on segment and size. This is a positive signal, providing shrimp farmers with renewed motivation to prepare for the upcoming production season.

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.

As of March and the first quarter of 2025, the fisheries sector has recorded positive growth in both aquaculture and capture fisheries.

The Ministry of Finance confirmed that the adjustment reflects Vietnam’s strategy to promote trade liberalisation with key partners, especially the United States, and support domestic consumption.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE), Vietnam’s agricultural product exports are inevitably affected by disruptions in global supply chains and the imposition of unilateral, stringent tariff policies by major economies. Nonetheless, these challenges also present an opportunity for Vietnam to adjust its export strategy and focus more intently on emerging and high-potential markets.

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.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s exports of shelled mollusks recorded impressive growth in the first two months of 2025, reaching USD 41 million—an increase of 132% compared to the same period in 2024 (USD 18 million).

(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.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2024, Vietnam’s tuna exports to the Middle East continued their impressive growth, rising by 28% compared to 2023. The Middle East is now emerging as one of Vietnam’s top four tuna export markets.

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) The first two months of 2025 recorded positive signals in Vietnam's seafood export activities, with total revenue reaching USD 1.423 billion, growing 18.2% compared to the same period in 2024. In February 2025, the export value hit USD 655.197 million, showing an impressive growth of 42.6%.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Between 2015 and 2024, Vietnamese pangasius exporting enterprises have undergone notable transformations in rankings and experienced fluctuations in developmental strategies, competitive intensity, and business efficacy. This dynamic is clearly illustrated through shifts in export turnover and the proportional contribution to the national pangasius export volume among the Top 5 enterprises.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The EU has been one of the largest consumers of Vietnamese pangasius over the past decade. However, data from Vietnam Customs reveals a gradual decline in EU imports of pangasius from Vietnam over the last five years.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After reaching a peak of nearly USD 6 million in June 2024, the export value of Vietnamese tuna to Italy has stagnated and continuously declined in the last five months of the year. Cumulatively, by December 15, 2024, export turnover to this market decreased by 18% compared to the same period in 2023, reaching over USD 30 million. With this decline, Italy is no longer Vietnam's largest tuna import market within the EU bloc.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam's shrimp exports reached $375 million in July 2024, a 17% increase from July 2023. Shrimp exports in July recorded the highest value since the beginning of the year and this is also the month when Vietnam's shrimp exports saw the best growth rate since February this year. In the first 7 months of this year, the shrimp export turnover reached over $2 billion, up 8% compared to the same period last year.

(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.