Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Hang speaks at the 2025 Vietnam Seafood Export Summary. (Photo: Chu Van)

The event was attended by over 400 delegates, including leaders from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, representatives from central and local ministries, institutes, schools, and economic experts, as well as nearly 200 seafood export enterprises. Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Hang attended and spoke at the ceremony.

Addressing the business community, Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Hang congratulated VASEP and seafood enterprises on achieving impressive export results amid the global economy's ongoing challenges, complexities, and uncertainties. This reflects the resilience, intelligence, courage, and adaptability of the seafood industry in overcoming the “headwinds” of the past year.

Mr. Đo Ngoc Tai, Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), speaks at the ceremony. (Photo: Chu Van)

According to the Deputy Minister, with an export turnover of nearly 11.3 billion USD, a record high, the seafood industry has affirmed its pioneering role in green transformation, sustainable development, and significant contribution to the total export turnover of over 70 billion USD in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, and a trade surplus of over 20 billion USD for the country in 2025.

Enterprises sign cooperation documents during the ceremony. (Photo: Chu Van)

In 2026, the international environment remains challenging, particularly amid recent developments in some regions that may continue to affect energy security and logistics costs. Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Hang emphasised three major global shifts affecting the seafood industry: the trend towards greenification, digitisation, and the linkage of food security with geopolitical security.

The Deputy Minister noted that with Vietnam's strengths in agricultural production, open foreign relations, active and responsible membership, and being a reliable partner to international friends, the agriculture sector in general and the seafood processing industry in particular have opportunities further to enhance international integration and exports to foreign markets, contributing to global food security.

The Deputy Minister urged the seafood industry to continue prioritising the strengthening and consolidation of major, traditional markets while diversifying into regions such as the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. They should explore increased investment and local production (in the Middle East, etc.) to exploit potential and directly export to those markets; leverage the new National Assembly resolution on special mechanisms for international integration to coordinate with the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, to promote the export promotion fund for the industry effectively.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Hang presents a certificate of merit from the Minister of Foreign Affairs to Ms Nguyen Thi Thu Sac, President of VASEP for the VI term.

The Deputy Minister affirmed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will concretise the essential, regular content of foreign relations in the draft resolution of the 14th Party Congress. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other ministries have identified foreign relations serving development and economic diplomacy as the central task of comprehensive, modern diplomacy. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is committed to continuing to accompany VASEP and seafood enterprises in connecting with partners, expanding, and diversifying export markets, especially to potential markets such as the Middle East and Latin America.

Exports of pangasius products remain optimistic in the near future.

According to VASEP President Do Ngoc Tai, effectively leveraging free trade agreements (FTAs) and expanding markets in the Middle East and Latin America will be key to helping the seafood industry maintain growth momentum and pursue sustainable development in the coming years.

At the summary ceremony, 62 outstanding seafood export enterprises were honoured with the 2025 Excellent Export Enterprise Award. On this occasion, Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Hang presented a certificate of merit from the Minister of Foreign Affairs to Ms Nguyen Thi Thu Sac, President of VASEP for the VI term, recognising her positive contributions to economic diplomacy and to enhancing Vietnam's position in the seafood industry on the international stage.