Due to the complementary nature of the Vietnamese and Israeli economies with limited direct competition, VIFTA is expected to expand the export landscape for Vietnam’s key products, particularly seafood.
Under the commitments of VIFTA, Israel will liberalize up to 92.7% of total tariff lines, while Vietnam’s level stands at 85.8%. As a result, most Vietnamese agricultural and seafood products will benefit from preferential tariffs. In the seafood segment, tuna currently stands as Vietnam’s leading export product to Israel, accounting for around 7% of the country’s total tuna import value in recent years. Beyond tuna, products such as shrimp, pangasius, squid and octopus are also considered to have high potential in the Middle Eastern market.
In terms of competitiveness, Vietnamese seafood benefits from a stable supply, large-scale aquaculture and capture fisheries, modern processing capacity and the ability to comply with Middle Eastern market standards, including Halal, Kosher and specific importer requirements. Vietnamese enterprises demonstrate high flexible in processing and packaging, enabling higher value addition and better alignment with multiple retail segments. Evidence of this potential is seen in Vietnam's seafood export turnover to the Middle East, which surged from $198 million in 2020 to $366 million in 2024, underscoring the strong expansion potential of this market.
However, to fully capitalize on the VIFTA, businesses must pay close attention to rules of origin. The Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam has issued Circular No. 11/2024/TT-BCT, detailing origin criteria, including wholly obtained goods, goods produced from originating materials or goods that have undergone sufficient processing or manufacturing in line with specific rules (RVC, CTC, or defined production processes).
Beyond tariff preferences, the Ministry of Industry and Trade is ramping up trade promotion programs, supply chain connectivity and investment facilitation programs, creating favorable conditions for Vietnamese seafood enterprises to access Israel’s advanced deep-processing technologies, thereby enhancing both export quality and value. Enterprises are advised to proactively conduct in-depth research into VIFTA regulations, establish transparent production processes, ensure full traceability and comply with quality and technical standards. At the same time, they should actively leverage support from Vietnam’s overseas trade offices to mitigate risks and pursue sustainable development in the Israeli market.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) With less than three weeks remaining, the Vietnam Fisheries International Exhibition – Vietfish 2026 will officially take place from August 19–21, 2026, at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) in Ho Chi Minh City. Under the theme "Innovation – Sustainability," Vietfish 2026 will provide a comprehensive networking platform for seafood businesses, buyers, distributors, industry experts, government agencies, and domestic and international visitors.
(vasep.com.vn) As part of the Vietnam Fisheries International Exhibition – Vietfish 2026, the technical seminar “Green and Sustainable Technology Solutions for the Aquaculture and Seafood Processing Value Chain” will take place from 09:30 to 11:45 on August 20, 2026, at Convention Room B, Level 2, SECC, Ho Chi Minh City. The seminar is jointly organized by VASEP, the Department of Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance, and the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Vietnam, focusing on technological innovation and sustainable transformation across Vietnam’s seafood value chain.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Market fluctuations, rising production costs, and increasingly stringent requirements from export markets are placing growing pressure on the shrimp industry. In response, Vinh Long Province is promoting high-tech shrimp farming integrated with production–consumption value chains to improve efficiency, reduce risks, and enhance the industry's value.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam's tilapia exports to Japan posted strong growth in the first half of 2026, while a promising new trend has emerged in the value-added product segment. Notably, Vietnamese tilapia fillets have been exported to Japan for use in sushi and sashimi, creating new opportunities to enhance the value of the industry in one of the world's most demanding seafood markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a relatively sluggish first quarter, Vietnam's exports of fish cakes and surimi showed a clearer recovery in the second quarter, particularly in June. Export value in the first six months of 2026 reached USD 148 million, down 2% year on year. However, the newly imposed 12.5% additional U.S. tariff on Vietnamese goods, intensifying competition in Northeast Asia, and increasingly stringent traceability requirements in the EU are making the outlook for the second half of the year more uncertain.
(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.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) As part of Vietfish 2026, the Hosted Buyer Program is designed as a specialized B2B matchmaking initiative for selected international buyers, providing opportunities to meet directly with Vietnamese seafood exporters, gain the latest market insights, and experience Vietnam's seafood supply chain firsthand.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) A project titled "Sustainable Shrimp Industry Governance" has been launched in Ca Mau Province with the aim of supporting the transition of the province's shrimp industry toward higher quality, lower emissions, stronger governance capacity, improved supply chain traceability, and the development of a sustainable shrimp brand that meets the increasingly stringent requirements of export markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Khanh Hoa Provincial Agricultural Extension Center, in collaboration with the Northern Center for Marine Aquaculture Research and the Van Hung Public Service Center, recently organized a training course on disease-free golden pompano seed production. The program is part of a National Agricultural Extension Project aimed at developing industrial-scale seed production models to support sustainable marine aquaculture.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports have shown encouraging signs of recovery in 2026. In the first four months of the year, total export turnover reached USD 720 million, up 17% compared to the same period last year. This result reflects improving demand across many markets, as well as the efforts of Vietnamese pangasius enterprises to maintain production, secure orders, and adapt to changing market conditions.
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