Vietnam’s seafood exports to China surged past the U.S. in April, marking a major shift driven by tariffs and shifting market strategies.

Seafood Expo Asia 2025 in Singapore is an opportunity for Vietnamese seafood businesses to promote products, connect with partners and expand regional markets.

Aiming for $1 billion in seafood exports by 2025, Khanh Hoa province is ramping up efforts to sustainably develop its fisheries sector, with a major plan to invest over VND 545 billion in expanding 240 hectares of high-tech marine farming by 2029.

Facing the prospect of U.S. countervailing duties as high as 46% on Vietnamese seafood, several leading exporters are reassessing their 2025 business strategies and profit targets.

Vietnam’s fisheries sector is facing both significant opportunities and challenges in 2025, with a targeted growth rate of 4.35% and export turnover projected to reach USD 11 billion.

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.”

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.

The US is the top import market for Vietnamese shrimp and tuna and ranks as the second largest for pangasius (tra fish).

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Brazil is a promising market for Vietnamese seafood, with exports reaching nearly $130 million in 2024, primarily driven by pangasius. High consumption demand, domestic supply shortages, and relaxed import standards create significant opportunities. Vietnam can leverage competitive pricing, bilateral trade cooperation, and MERCOSUR negotiations to expand market share.

The UK seafood industry celebrated a breakthrough on April 1 as Vietnam granted market access for live seafood products, opening new opportunities for growth and trade.

As the EU strengthens its controls on inorganic arsenic in imported seafood, Vietnamese exporters are being warned not to be complacent and are actively adjusting to maintain market access, with enhanced quality control measures to ensure compliance.

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.

(vasep.com.vn) According to the General Statistics Office, Vietnam's total fishery output in the first quarter of 2025 is estimated at 1,993.4 thousand tons, an increase of 2.8% compared to the same period last year. Of this, fish accounted for 1,480.3 thousand tons (up 2.9%), shrimp reached 202.4 thousand tons (up 4.6%), and other fishery products totaled 310.7 thousand tons (up 1.5%).

Sa Giang Import-Export Corporation continues to assert its position as one of the leading export enterprises in Đồng Tháp, achieving a revenue of thousands of billions of VND from shrimp crackers and rice paper in the past year.