Viet Nam’s aquatic product exports continued to show positive recovery signs in the first four months of 2026 and are moving towards the goal of 12 billion USD for the whole year.

According to the Viet Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), the seafood export turnover during the January-April period was estimated at 3.7 billion USD, up nearly 15% year-on-year.

The result reflected a positive start for the sector, especially in key exports such as shrimp, tra fish, squid, octopus, crab, molluscs and other high-value aquatic products. However, growth remained uneven across products and markets. While exports to China surged by more than 50%, shipments to some other markets recovered slowly. Exports to the US notably declined over 7% due to increasing trade barriers.

Shrimp remained the leading export item, earning about 1.5 billion USD in the first four months, up 15% year-on-year and accounting for more than 40% of total aquatic product export value. Growth was driven by the recovery of several Asian markets, rising lobster exports and positive signals from processed and value-added shrimp products.

Despite the rebound, Vietnamese shrimp continued to face fierce price competition from Ecuador, India and Indonesia. In the US market, the shrimp industry remained under pressure from anti-dumping and countervailing duties, administrative reviews and cautious purchasing behaviour among importers.

Mai Van Hoang, Chairman of the Viet Nam Shrimp Association, said shrimp remains Viet Nam’s largest aquatic export item, generating more than 4.6 billion USD in 2025, with further growth potential ahead. However, he warned that shrimp farming areas are shrinking, particularly in central coastal provinces, while expanding farming zones remains difficult due to land planning for real estate and tourism projects.

Hoang stressed that Viet Nam must improve self-sufficiency in breeding stock to maintain the competitiveness of its aquatic product sector. Currently, the country imports up to 90% of parent shrimp stock. Farming areas should also shift from traditional extensive farming to intensive, high-tech models to improve productivity and reduce costs, he added.

Meanwhile, tra fish (pangasius) exports were valued at 734 million USD in the reviewed period, up 19% year-on-year, maintaining their position as the second-largest export category. With consumers tightening their spending and becoming more price-sensitive, tra fish retained an advantage thanks to their affordability.

Growth opportunities for tra fish remain strong in China, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Middle East, and the EU. However, import markets are also tightening technical barriers related to farming standards, traceability and food safety.

In contrast, tuna exports fell about 6% to an estimated 286 million USD due to rising raw material costs and stricter technical requirements, including regulations regarding traceability and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

VASEP General Secretary Nguyen Hoai Nam said global aquatic product demand remains stable, particularly in major import-dependent markets such as the US, EU, Japan and China, creating room for Viet Nam’s seafood exports to grow by 8-10% this year.

However, the sector still faces mounting challenges, including shortages of raw materials and labour, high production costs, disease outbreaks, trade defence investigations and increasingly stringent environmental and sustainability standards in key export markets.