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Shrimp exports in the first half of the year grow despite mounting market and logistics pressures

News 08:32 25/07/2026
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In June 2026, Vietnam's shrimp exports reached nearly USD 458 million, up 24% year-on-year. In the first six months of 2026, export value totaled USD 2.35 billion, an increase of 14.2% compared with the same period last year. Growth was driven mainly by the Chinese market and the strong performance of lobster exports, while shrimp exports continued to face pressure from U.S. tariffs and rising logistics costs.

Asian markets drive growth

China and Hong Kong remained the main growth engine, with exports reaching approximately USD 845 million, up 44% year-on-year and accounting for 36% of Vietnam's total shrimp export value. The United States ranked second with nearly USD 809 million, representing 47%.

Exports to Japan, South Korea, and Australia all recorded positive growth. Combined exports to these three markets reached approximately USD 271 million, accounting for 16% of total exports. Exports to the European Union (EU) also posted modest growth of 2%.

Notably, shrimp exports to the United Kingdom increased by 62% in June, reaching USD 32 million. However, cumulative exports to the UK during the first six months totaled around USD 290 million.

June growth largely driven by lobster exports

Whiteleg shrimp remained Vietnam's leading export product, generating nearly USD 1.39 billion in the first half of the year, accounting for 59% of total shrimp exports and increasing 9% year-on-year. Black tiger shrimp exports reached approximately USD 230 million, up 8%.

The strongest growth came from lobster exports, which reached nearly USD 585 million, up 44% and accounting for 25% of total shrimp export value. In June alone, lobster exports reached nearly USD 71 million, an increase of 48%.

This result reflects the increasingly important role of lobster alongside whiteleg and black tiger shrimp. However, future growth is expected to depend largely on the Chinese market. Vietnam's green lobster exports to China continue to face challenges related to broodstock supply, traceability requirements, and import regulations.

Rising logistics costs continue to squeeze profits

Alongside tariff pressures, rising logistics costs remain a major challenge for shrimp production, processing, and exports. Ocean freight rates, container leasing fees, storage charges, insurance costs, and the difficulty of securing vessel space have all increased, while shipping schedules remain unstable.

For the shrimp industry, which relies heavily on cold-chain transportation, rising freight costs continue to erode profit margins, particularly for low-value processed products.

To reduce logistics-related pressures, management agencies, industry associations, and businesses need to strengthen cooperation with shipping lines to secure more competitive freight rates, coordinate loading schedules, ensure container availability, and maintain stable shipping services for seafood exports.

Exporters should also proactively develop more flexible delivery plans, diversify transport options, negotiate more appropriate shipping terms, and increase the proportion of processed, value-added products to improve efficiency and reduce the impact of logistics costs on business performance.

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