EFTA deal provides fresh opportunities for seafood exports

Seafood exporters have fresh opportunities to gain greater access to high-value markets, after negotiations concluded with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) on a free trade agreement (FTA) that would help Việt Nam diversify exports amid rising global trade uncertainties.

The FTA would increase access to markets with strong demand for premium food products in line with the Southeast Asian country’s strategy of shifting exports towards increasing added value, the association said.

The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) said that the trade deal, which covers Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, came as seafood exporters face growing protectionism and increasingly stringent food safety and sustainability requirements in major markets.

According to the association, Vietnamese exporters should not compete on price but focus on higher-value products such as processed shrimp, premium frozen shrimp, pangasius fillets and portioned cuts, processed pangasius, tuna, squid, octopus, crab, shellfish and ready-to-cook seafood products for retail chains.

VASEP urged exporters to fully comply with origin requirements, certification procedures, food safety regulations and technical standards to be able to benefit from the preferential tariffs under the trade deal.

Early preparations in quality control, sustainability certification, traceability systems, compliance with rules of origin and packaging, as well as closer relationships with retailers, importers and food service distributors in Switzerland, Norway and Iceland, are needed for exporters to be able to seize opportunities from the trade deal.

Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein are members of the European Economic Area and closely aligned with EU standards, while Switzerland maintains similarly strict requirements on food safety, traceability, environmental protection, labour practices and corporate social responsibility.

To expand market share in EFTA countries, Vietnamese seafood companies will need to strengthen standards across the entire supply chain, from aquaculture and fishing vessels to processing plants, cold storage, packaging and sustainability certification.

Over the longer term, VASEP said EFTA could become a valuable niche market, helping Việt Nam raise both the value and sustainability of its seafood exports while strengthening its position in global seafood supply chains.

Beyond trade, the FTA could strengthen cooperation in technology and investment as Norway and Iceland are recognised for their expertise in marine aquaculture, fisheries management, cold-chain technology, seafood processing and logistics.

VASEP said the agreement could create opportunities for cooperation in technology transfer, raw material supply, investment, supply chain management and product development.

At the same time, lower tariffs were expected to make seafood imports from EFTA countries, particularly Norwegian and Icelandic salmon, mackerel, cod, whitefish and frozen seafood products, more competitive in the Vietnamese market.

This would increase competition in premium retail and also encourage domestic producers to improve product quality, invest in value-added processing, strengthen branding and modernise distribution systems, the association said.

Although seafood exports to the EFTA bloc remain modest, recent growth suggests untapped potential.

In 2025, seafood exports to Switzerland rose by 15 per cent year-on-year to US$34.1 million, while shipments to Norway nearly doubled, increasing 95 per cent to $18.5 million.

In the first five months of 2026, exports to Switzerland fell by 15 per cent from a year earlier to $13.4 million, equivalent to around 0.3 per cent of the country's total seafood exports. Shipments to Norway, however, climbed 36.7 per cent to $7 million over the same period, with May exports alone rising by 11.5 per cent year-on-year to $1.64 million.