Press Release: Vietfish 2026 Returns at Record Scale, Driving the “Green Transition” Toward the US$12 Billion Export Target

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam – August 7, 2026 – The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) officially announces that the Vietnam International Seafood Exhibition (Vietfish 2026) will take place from August 19–21, 2026, at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), Ho Chi Minh City.

Under the core theme “Innovation and Sustainability,” Vietfish 2026 marks 27 years of accompanying Vietnam’s seafood industry and will be the largest edition ever held. The event serves as a strategic platform for Vietnamese businesses to strengthen their competitiveness, align with global sustainability standards and expand their international trade networks.

A springboard for breakthrough growth toward the billion-dollar export target

This year’s exhibition marks a significant expansion in both exhibition space and participation. Covering more than 14,000 square meters, including the Lobby, Hall A and Hall B, Vietfish 2026 will bring together 568 booths from 335 leading domestic and international companies.

The exhibition will feature participants from 17 countries and territories, including the United States, Germany, Italy, Norway, Israel, Türkiye, Japan, South Korea and China, reaffirming Vietnam’s position as a major seafood processing and export hub. The event is expected to welcome more than 13,000 trade and international visitors.

Vietfish 2026 takes place at a time when Vietnam’s seafood industry is experiencing a strong recovery. In the first six months of 2026, total seafood export turnover reached US$5.76 billion, up 12.7% year on year. Vietfish 2026 is expected to provide an important boost to trade growth in the second half of the year, helping drive full-year export turnover closer to the historic US$12 billion target.

“Innovation and Sustainability” – Raising value and meeting green standards

Amid increasingly stringent international trade regulations, Vietfish 2026 focuses on one of the industry’s core challenges: shifting from raw exports toward deeper processing and increasing the share of value-added products, including ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook products, for modern retail chains, restaurants, hotels and e-commerce platforms.

The “green transition” is not merely a slogan but a theme running throughout the entire exhibition. The event will provide an important forum to support businesses in implementing ESG standards and moving toward Net Zero through carbon-emission reduction roadmaps, energy efficiency and environmentally friendly packaging.

At the same time, supply-chain transparency will remain a key priority, with solutions focusing on origin traceability, responsible aquaculture practices and strict compliance with regulations on combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

These strategic issues will be explored in depth through a series of specialized seminars, where leading domestic and international experts will provide updates on new technical barriers, market outlooks and global consumer trends.

Vietfish 2026 introduces a series of new initiatives

To maximize business-matching opportunities and expand customer networks, Vietfish 2026 will feature several new and innovative activities:

Hosted Buyer Program: For the first time, the Hosted Buyer Program will be introduced, bringing buyers from key markets to the exhibition for direct meetings with Vietnamese businesses, as well as visits to farming areas and processing plants in the Mekong Delta. The program will offer buyers a first-hand view of the production process from farm to table and demonstrate how Vietnamese companies meet international export standards.

Reaching Gen Z through e-commerce: For the first time, VASEP will collaborate with TikTok Shop and Foodmap to organize live-stream shopping sessions directly at the exhibition, bringing value-added seafood products closer to younger consumers.

Tasty Kitchen: Under the message “Export-quality seafood for Vietnamese consumers,” the Tasty Kitchen area will feature professional chefs from Vietnam, the United States, Japan, South Korea and Indonesia, who will demonstrate and prepare high-quality Vietnamese seafood products for export. The activity will enable producers to connect directly with domestic restaurants, hotels and retail chains, helping diversify sales channels and reduce dependence on major export markets. The program will also feature interactive mini-games and gifts from the organizers.

“Vietfish Bus Hunt” street communication campaign: A double-decker bus featuring the Vietfish 2026 branding will travel through central streets of Ho Chi Minh City, accompanied by check-in mini-games and gifts, helping bring the exhibition closer to the wider community.

Through this comprehensive range of activities, Vietfish is establishing a clear strategic roadmap for Vietnam’s seafood industry for 2026–2027. In 2026, the exhibition is expected to create a direct business-matching platform, enabling companies to secure commercial contracts for the year-end peak season, stimulate domestic consumption and contribute directly to the US$12 billion export target.

Looking ahead to 2027, Vietfish will continue to serve as a springboard for businesses to develop their business plans early, expand strategic partnerships, upgrade automation and production technologies, and proactively meet ESG standards, thereby strengthening Vietnam’s position on the global seafood map.

Event Information

Event: Vietnam International Seafood Exhibition (Vietfish 2026) Date: August 19–21, 2026 (Open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) Venue: Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) – 799 Nguyen Van Linh Street, District 7, Ho Chi Minh City

Media Contact: Contact person: Ms. Tran Tuong Khanh Tel: 0708 17 8384 Email: khanh.tran@vasep.com.vn Website: www.vietfish.com.vn