China & Hong Kong and CPTPP maintain growth momentum, while the EU recovers
China & Hong Kong continued to be the largest import market for Vietnamese pangasius, reaching USD 72 million, up 129% year-on-year. Compared with USD 63 million in December 2025, the increase reflects strong consumption demand. This year, the festive season in China came later than usual, leading to increased imports for consumption and stockpiling at the beginning of the year, thereby pushing export value higher.
Exports of Vietnamese pangasius to the CPTPP market bloc reached USD 37 million, up 52% year-on-year. The growth was mainly driven by several key member markets such as Mexico, which reached USD 11 million, up 108%; Japan, which reached USD 5 million, up 75%; and the United Kingdom, which reached USD 6 million, up 46% compared with the same period in 2025. Meanwhile, Canada and several other markets in the bloc maintained stable import levels. Strong growth in major markets contributed to the overall increase in CPTPP export value. After impressive growth in 2025, this market bloc continues to show positive signals and strong potential for Vietnamese pangasius products.
In ASEAN, export value reached USD 20 million, up 49% compared with the same period in 2025. Some markets in the region recorded strong growth, such as Thailand, which reached USD 9 million, up 65%. However, growth among markets within the bloc was uneven, with clear differences between individual countries.
In January 2026, pangasius exports to the EU reached USD 15 million, up 18% year-on-year. Amid shortages of cod and pollock supply in Europe, demand for alternative whitefish products has increased. As a result, Vietnamese pangasius has benefited as a competitive alternative thanks to its affordable price and stable supply. The Netherlands, a traditional market that recorded negative growth in the last few months of 2025, has also shown signs of recovery. Pangasius export value to this market reached USD 4 million in January 2026, up 21% compared with the same period last year.
Middle East market still faces risks from the Iran–Israel conflict
In the Middle East, Vietnam’s pangasius export value reached USD 14 million, up 50% year-on-year. However, compared with December, the market has shown signs of slowing down. In the coming period, as military tensions in the region become more complex, pangasius exports to the Middle East may face negative impacts. Currently, maritime shipping routes have been disrupted, and the risk of attacks has increased, making it more difficult to ensure timely delivery of frozen seafood products.
The current risk focus lies at the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic shipping route connecting the Persian Gulf with the Indian Ocean. As security alerts increase, many shipping lines have adjusted their routes, temporarily suspending passages through Hormuz or rerouting vessels around the Cape of Good Hope instead of passing through the Red Sea – Bab el-Mandeb – Suez Canal corridor. In recent days, freight rates on the Asia–Dubai route have nearly doubled, while emergency surcharges for routes to and from Gulf countries range from USD 1,500 to USD 4,000 per container, with higher fees applied to refrigerated containers.
In addition, war risk insurance premiums have surged, and in some cases coverage has been canceled, forcing many commercial vessels to purchase new insurance at very high costs in order to continue operating. This could increase overall costs, narrow profit margins, and make it more challenging to maintain delivery schedules for frozen seafood products, including Vietnamese pangasius.
Overall, the import landscape for Vietnamese pangasius across major market blocs shows positive signs of recovery, particularly in China & Hong Kong and the CPTPP bloc. However, geopolitical factors and global logistics fluctuations, especially in the Middle East, remain significant challenges for the pangasius industry in the coming period.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietfish 2026, the Vietnam International Seafood Exhibition, will officially take place from 19–21 August 2026 in Ho Chi Minh City. As Vietnam’s largest annual seafood trade event, organized by the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), Vietfish 2026 will once again bring together leading seafood companies, industry experts, and international partners from across the global seafood value chain.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached USD 1.1 billion in July 2026, up 4.8% compared to the same period in 2025. Cumulative exports in the first seven months of the year totaled nearly USD 6.86 billion, an increase of 11.5% year-on-year. Exceeding the USD 1 billion mark in July further reinforces the prospect that Vietnam’s seafood exports could surpass USD 12 billion in 2026. However, the July figures also send a clear signal that the most favorable growth period may have passed: overall export growth slowed to just 4.8%, pangasius exports fell 6.1%, tuna exports were virtually flat, while exports to the EU, South Korea, and the Middle East all recorded double-digit declines.
(vasep.com.vn) As part of the Vietnam Fisheries International Exhibition (Vietfish 2026), the seminar "Global Seafood Market and the Future Workforce: Trends, Opportunities, and Sustainable Development Pathways for Vietnam's Seafood Industry" will take place from 2:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. on August 19, 2026, at Convention Room B, Level 2, SECC, Ho Chi Minh City. This is the first of five specialized seminars at Vietfish 2026, focusing on key issues that are shaping the long-term development of Vietnam's seafood industry.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnamese seafood exports recorded impressive growth, generating nearly 6 billion USD in revenue during the first six months of the year, up 13% compared with the same period last year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Fishermen in Ha Tinh are gradually overcoming difficulties to maintain the efficiency of seafood exploitation. In the first six months of 2026, the entire province achieved a production of more than 23,000 tons of seafood, worth more than 1,200 billion VND.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) June 2026 brought encouraging signs for Vietnam's tuna exports, with export value rising 20% year-on-year to nearly USD 72 million. However, this increase has yet to offset the prolonged slowdown seen in key markets such as the European Union (EU), where import demand remains weak. The outlook for the second half of the year is expected to become more challenging as freight rates continue to climb.
(vasep.com.vn) As part of the Vietnam Fisheries International Exhibition (Vietfish 2026), the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), in collaboration with the Agency for Domestic Market Management and Development under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, will organize the Domestic Seafood Supply–Demand Matching Program on the morning of August 20, 2026, at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), Ho Chi Minh City. The program aims to foster direct business connections between Vietnamese seafood producers and processors and domestic distributors, retailers, and foodservice channels.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The Cooking Show will be one of the most engaging experiential highlights of Vietfish 2026. Taking place over three days, from August 19–21, 2026, at Hall B1, SECC, Ho Chi Minh City, the event will offer visitors a vibrant culinary space where Vietnamese seafood is showcased through its flavors, stories, and real-life culinary applications.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam's pangasius exports reached USD 205 million in June 2026, up 5% compared with the same month in 2025. Cumulative export value for the first six months of the year totaled USD 1.1 billion, an increase of 12% year-on-year. Growth was primarily driven by strong demand from China and CPTPP markets, while exports to the United States and Brazil continued to decline.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first six months of 2026, Ha Tinh province continued to implement comprehensive solutions to combat IUU fishing; strictly manage the fishing fleet, control fishing vessels entering and leaving ports, operate vessel tracking devices, trace the origin of seafood, and severely punish violations.
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