Ho Chi Minh City (VNA) – The Vietnam International Fisheries Exhibition (Vietfish 2026) officially opened in Ho Chi Minh City on August 19, themed “Innovation and Sustainability,” bringing together 568 booths from Vietnam and 18 other countries and territories.
Organised by the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), the three-day exhibition covers more than 14,000 sqm at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre (SECC), marking a significant expansion.
VASEP Chairman Do Ngoc Tai said Vietfish has evolved from a conventional trade exhibition into a strategic platform for promoting Vietnam’s seafood industry. It connects the entire value chain, from aquaculture and fishing to processing, technology, logistics, and distribution. The event gives Vietnamese businesses an opportunity to demonstrate their production expertise and ability to meet increasingly demanding international standards.
This year’s event comes as the global seafood industry faces growing pressure to improve traceability and environmental responsibility. Vietfish 2026 therefore focuses on showcasing industry achievements and the shift from volume-driven growth to higher value exports, brand building, and integrated value chains.
A series of specialised seminars will examine market trends, new regulations, advanced technologies and sustainable solutions, while creating opportunities for seafood companies to connect with technology, logistics and service providers.
For the first time, Vietfish 2026 is introducing a Hosted Buyer programme, bringing importers from key markets to meet Vietnamese businesses and visit farms and processing plants in the Mekong Delta. The programme is designed to give international buyers first-hand insight into Vietnam’s international quality standards.
The exhibition also features livestream sales organised in collaboration with a social media platform, bringing products closer to younger consumers. Meanwhile, the Tasty Kitchen culinary space features professional chefs from Vietnam, the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Indonesia showcasing high-quality Vietnamese seafood products.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Vo Van Hung highlighted seafood’s long-standing role as one of Vietnam’s key export sectors. The industry has built a strong global presence, developed a capable processing sector, and become increasingly integrated into international supply chains.
Vietnam’s seafood exports reached 11.3 billion USD in 2025, with major products including shrimp, pangasius, squid, octopus, molluscs, and crab recording positive results. In the first seven months of 2026, exports reached nearly 6.9 billion USD, up 12.8% year-on-year despite challenges including rising ocean freight costs and shifts in trade policies.
However, the sector is entering a new phase of development as climate change, declining natural resources, disease, production costs, trade competition, and rapidly changing consumer markets create mounting pressure.
Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Phan Thi Thang said Vietnam’s seafood sector has moved from heavy reliance on raw exploitation towards deeper processing, greater product diversification, and higher value-added production. She noted, however, that volatile global trade continues to put pressure on businesses to perform better.
Against this backdrop, Vietfish 2026 is expected to provide a direct business-matching platform for companies to secure contracts ahead of the year-end peak, stimulate domestic consumption, and contribute to the country’s 12-billion-USD seafood export target.
Looking ahead to 2027, the exhibition is also expected to help businesses develop early market strategies, build strategic partnerships, upgrade production through automation, and strengthen compliance with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards./.
