The U.S. Continues to Dominate Vietnam’s Crab Exports
In the global crab import landscape, the U.S. is the leading market. It is currently the world’s largest crab importer, particularly for frozen crab products, with import value reaching nearly USD 1.1 billion—far ahead of other markets such as Japan, China, and South Korea.
For blue swimming crab products specifically, the U.S. remains a key destination, significantly influencing global demand, with supply mainly coming from Asian countries, including Vietnam.
However, exports to the U.S. faced numerous challenges over the past year. In August 2025, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced the 2025 comparability findings under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) in the Federal Register. According to NOAA, “comparability determinations” may lead to import restrictions on products from fisheries or fishing gear that do not meet U.S. marine mammal protection standards. This poses a major uncertainty heading into 2026.
Currently, the import ban on crab products from Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka has been temporarily suspended until NOAA/NMFS completes its review of the comparability findings—i.e., assessments of whether exporting countries provide marine mammal protections equivalent to those of the U.S. However, the final outcome will depend on the quality and completeness of the information submitted by Vietnam to NOAA/NMFS.
EU and CPTPP – New Bright Spots for Vietnamese Crab
While the U.S. remains the key market in terms of scale, the EU stands out in terms of growth rate. In 2025, crab exports to the EU reached over USD 3 million, up 102%. Within the bloc, France was the largest importer, with more than USD 3 million, up 112% (ranking second among Vietnam’s crab export markets, after the U.S.).
Alongside the EU, CPTPP member countries also recorded positive growth of nearly 29%. This presents important room for Vietnamese enterprises to promote processed and value-added products, leverage tariff preferences, and tap into consumer trends favoring products with clear traceability.
In contrast, crab exports to China and Hong Kong dropped sharply by 48%, to just under USD 3 million. Some other markets, such as Japan and Canada, also declined or fluctuated, reflecting intensified competition and shifting demand across distribution channels.
Rising Global Demand Amid Fluctuating Wild Supply
Global demand for crab continued to rise in 2025, supported by consumer preference for high-value seafood. However, supply mainly depends on wild capture fisheries and is therefore more volatile, unlike shrimp, which largely relies on aquaculture. This dynamic often creates unpredictable cycles of pricing, raw material availability, and delivery schedules, requiring businesses to proactively manage sourcing plans and contracts.
Outlook for 2026
Compliance with MMPA requirements is currently creating procedural challenges for exporters, limiting not only crab exports but potentially affecting other seafood sectors as well. In addition, the heavy dependence on the U.S. market makes Vietnam’s crab exports particularly vulnerable to policy changes.
Looking ahead, if MMPA-related requirements are tightened or procedural disruptions occur, exports to the U.S. may fluctuate significantly, forcing businesses to pivot more rapidly toward the EU, CPTPP markets, and other destinations. The upward trend in global crab consumption seen in 2025 is expected to continue into 2026.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Although Germany’s tuna imports have declined, Vietnam’s tuna exports to the market continue to show positive signs. Notably, export value recovered strongly in Q3/2026, and German import data also show Vietnamese products strengthening their position amid competition among suppliers.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood exports are holding double-digit growth, but the opportunities are not spread evenly across product groups and markets. As businesses draw up their plans for 2027, Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS2026) offers a chance to look ahead together: what to sell, where to sell it, and how to prepare for growth in the coming years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) With less than two weeks to go, the Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026) will officially take place in Can Tho. Under the theme “Seafood Market Outlook 2027–2029 – Opportunities and Potential for Double-Digit Export Growth,” the Summit is organized by VASEP at a time when seafood businesses are facing rapid market shifts, changing buyer demand, trade policy changes and growing competitive pressure all at once.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On October 28, 2026, the China Fisheries & Seafood Expo opened in Qingdao, China. The expo takes place over three days from October 28 to 30, 2026. This is a prestigious specialized seafood exhibition organized annually by Sea Fare Exposition Inc.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first nine months of 2026, Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the CPTPP bloc reached $7 million, marking a 51% year-on-year increase. The bloc rstands as the fourth-largest market for Vietnamese tilapia, trailing Brazil, the US, and Saudi Arabia.
(vasep.com.vn) VASEP has officially announced the program for Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026), featuring five in-depth sessions covering industry outlooks, trade barriers, buyer demand, the domestic market, and solutions to improve productivity and reduce costs across the seafood value chain.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached US$3.7 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 11% year on year. Although growth has been supported by China and several markets within the CPTPP, momentum is slowing as exports to the United States and the European Union decline. Tariff pressures, international competition, and raw material challenges are creating significant hurdles for exporters in the final months of the year.
(vasep.com.vn) Markets are changing faster, buyer requirements are becoming more demanding, and trade barriers are growing increasingly complex. In this environment, seafood businesses need more than an understanding of current market conditions. They need a longer-term perspective to answer a critical question: Where will growth opportunities come from in 2027–2029, and what should businesses do now to prepare? This is one of the key reasons why VASEP is organizing Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East reached US$113 million, up 7% year on year from the same period in 2025. Growth has become more pronounced in recent months. In August alone, exports to the region totaled US$20 million, an increase of 24%. This indicates that demand for Vietnamese pangasius in the Middle East is gradually recovering after a slowdown in March, although the pace of recovery varies across markets.
(vasep.com.vn) China’s shrimp imports continued to grow strongly in 2026, while Vietnam’s shrimp exports to the market also recorded notable growth. However, behind these positive figures lie two distinct trends: Chinese consumption is growing more slowly than imports, and lobster accounts for a substantial share of Vietnam’s shrimp exports to China, making its product mix significantly different from those of Ecuador and India. Exporters therefore need to assess each segment carefully to understand the opportunities and risks.
VASEP - HIỆP HỘI CHẾ BIẾN VÀ XUẤT KHẨU THỦY SẢN VIỆT NAM
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