HCM City (VNA) - Vietnam’s aquatic exports are on pace to reach 10 billion USD in 2025, but rising trade and technical barriers, particularly in the US, are prompting exporters to pivot toward diversification and value-added processing to maintain momentum.
Customs data showed Vietnam’s aquatic exports reeled in 1.12 billion USD in August, up 13.8% from last year, shrugging off choppy global markets. From January to August, exports soared 16.7% to 7.34 billion USD. Shrimp led the charge, with lobster hauls booming, tra fish making a comeback, and mollusks like squid, octopus, and bivalves raking in big gains. Tuna, though, took a hit from supply and demand disruptions.
Top buyers included CPTPP countries, China (including Hong Kong), and the US, where tra fish exports climbed 3.7% to 234 million USD in the first eight months. The EU and the Republic of Korea (RoK) were also steady customers.
Le Hang, Deputy Secretary-General of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), projected a boom in September and October, but warned of a slowdown from late November, signaling tougher times ahead.
She highlighted mounting challenges, including tariff shifts and market barriers. In the US, a 20% retaliatory tariff undercuts Vietnam’s competitiveness against rivals like Thailand, Indonesia, and Ecuador. The shrimp sector faces further pressure from potentially steep anti-dumping duties in the upcoming 19th administrative review (POR19).
Worse, the US Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) equivalency assessments denied certification for 12 Vietnamese fisheries, including key currency earners like tuna, mackerel, squid, octopus, and some crustaceans. Starting on January 1, 2026, these products will be barred from the US, threatening over 500 million USD in annual export revenue.
To counter these headwinds, Vietnamese exporters are casting their nets wider, targeting Asia, the Middle East, and South America while doubling down on value-added processing to stay competitive. Tra fish exports to China are softening, but CPTPP, ASEAN, and South American markets are growing briskly. Japan, Canada, and Mexico are hooked on tariff perks and crave safe, convenient products, making them prime long-term targets.
Nearby markets like Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore are also gobbling up tra fish, thanks to low shipping costs and similar tastes. ASEAN markets are increasingly seen as a stable alternative to far-off, regulation-heavy markets.
While frozen fillets still rule, deeply processed tra fish products are growing fastest, showing exporters are adapting to consumers’ hunger for convenience. Shrimp exports are holding strong, particularly in high-value EU markets. Eurostat projected EU shrimp imports could reach 400,000 tonnes in 2025, a multi-year high, giving Vietnam a shot at bigger profits.
Industry experts said it is time to stop competing on price and focus on quality, transparency, and sustainability. Certifications like ASC, organic, and carbon-smart are becoming must-haves for retail shelves, and standardising antibiotic controls is also critical.
Focusing on fast-growing EU markets like Germany, Belgium, France, and Denmark, where premium products are in demand, could optimise resources. Expanding value-added, deeply processed shrimp products will also help Vietnam fend off rivals like Ecuador and India, they said.
To keep the industry thriving, VASEP is pushing for coordinated aquaculture zoning, tighter quality controls, and a swift fix to the EU’s “yellow card” on illegal unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. It is also seeking solutions to break through US tariff and technical walls, determined to safeguard Vietnam’s seafood export boom./.
