Vietnam’s shrimp exports maintain growth in first 8 months of 2026 as competition shifts toward efficiency and value

According to Vietnam Customs data, shrimp exports totaled $478.5 million in August 2026, up 4.2% year on year, bringing total eight-month turnover to $3.3 billion, a 12% increase.  Whiteleg shrimp continued to account for the largest share at more than $2 billion (up 7.6%); black tiger shrimp brought in nearly $318 million (up 7.4%); while other shrimp categories accounted for $936.6 million (up 25%). 

China remains the main growth driver, US and EU face mounting headwinds 

China and Hong Kong continued to be the biggest growth engine, with exports reaching nearly $1.12 billion - a 35.9% year-on-year surge that accounted for 34.1% of Vietnam's total shrimp export value over the eight-month period. Exports to China alone exceeded $1.07 billion, up 38.2%. This was the strongest growth among Vietnam’s major shrimp markets and continued to provide significant support to the sector’s overall performance.

By contrast, shrimp to the US contracted by 11.7% to $436.1 million, with August alone seeing a 12.6% downturn. The EU also failed to generate new momentum, with exports totaling $355.3 million, down 3.6%, while August exports fell as much as 23.5%. Meanwhile, exports to Japan rose 6.1% to $388.5 million, Australia increased 18.2%, and Canada rose 6.5%. The CPTPP bloc reached $901 million, an 11% increase, underscoring the stabilizing role of a diversified geographic portfolio for Vietnamese exporters. 

In the US, the supply-side competitive landscape is changing rapidly. Ecuador continues to expand its presence, particularly in peeled shrimp, while India remains a major competitor with the ability to quickly redirect shipments between the US and other markets. Insights gathered at GSF 2026 also indicate that US demand is currently not strong enough to absorb rising supply simply through lower prices. Importers and retailers are increasingly focusing on peeled, processed and convenience products to capture additional value.

For Vietnamese shrimp, pressure is also coming from a complex trade environment. Frozen warm-water shrimp remains subject to AD/CVD measures and related review processes. From July 2026, the US imposed a 12.5% Section 301 tariff on Vietnamese goods covered by the measure, with exemptions for specified products; under the same measure, Ecuador, India and Indonesia face a 10% rate. As a result, competitiveness in the US increasingly depends on the overall cost of bringing products to market, in addition to selling prices and product mix.

In the EU, consumer purchasing remains cautious, yet industry intelligence from GSF shows that value-added products are demonstrating significantly greater resilience than commodity raw shrimp. This is a segment in which Vietnam has strengths in peeled, cooked, breaded, marinated, ready-to-cook and more complex processed orders. However, this advantage is no longer assured, as Ecuador is rapidly investing in peeling and processing, while India is stepping up efforts to expand its presence in Europe.

GSF 2026: competition shifts from volume to efficiency and value

One of the key messages from the Global shrimp forum 2026 (GSF 2026) is that global shrimp supply still has room to expand rapidly. Ecuador could continue to grow production through increased farming acreage and technology upgrades; India maintains the capacity to sustain massive output and several other producing nations are actively seeking to rehabilitate or expand aquaculture operations. 

However, higher production no longer necessarily translates into higher value or profitability. When supply grows faster than demand, price pressure spreads across farmers, processors and importers. As a result, competition is shifting from the question of “who can produce more” to “who can produce more consistently and efficiently, manage risks better and sell higher-value products.”

This by no means suggests Vietnam should curtail investment into its farming base. On the contrary, strengthening competitiveness requires production to expand on the basis of lower mortality rates, better disease control, improved seed quality, more effective water and feed management, stronger biosecurity and greater forecasting capabilities. Financial institutions at GSF also emphasized that capital is not only looking for scale, but also for stability and sufficiently reliable data to assess risks.

Alongside farming, Vietnam must fiercely safeguard its advanced processing edge. At GSF 2026, flexible processing capabilities and the ability to meet complex product specifications continued to be recognized as strengths of Vietnamese shrimp. However, the gap with competitors is narrowing. Sustained product innovation, convenience-focused formats, uniform quality, end-to-end traceability, and verifiable supply chain accountability will therefore become increasingly decisive. 

Building on an export baseline of $3.3 billion over the first eight months, full-year 2026 export turnover could surpass last year’s figures—provided Chinese demand holds firm, Japan, Australia, and CPTPP markets maintain their upward trajectory, and the US market avoids deeper fourth-quarter contraction. Nonetheless, the primary swing factors remain the actual absorption capacity of end markets, price volatility, and looming trade barriers in the final stretch of the year. 

The 2026 outlook shows that competition in the global shrimp market will remain intense as supply from major producing countries continues to expand. However, Vietnamese shrimp retains several distinct advantages, particularly in deep processing, flexibility in product specifications, experience in fulfilling complex orders and the ability to serve multiple market segments. Against this backdrop, Vietnam’s shrimp growth potential will increasingly depend on leveraging these strengths while improving farming efficiency, maintaining quality, strengthening traceability and proactively responding to demand in individual markets.