The fisheries sector opens up new avenues for development.

Efforts to open up new destinations and products have significantly contributed to helping Vietnam's seafood exports overcome the fluctuations of the global market, achieving unprecedented growth in 2025.

Customers visit and sample exported seafood products at the Vietfish 2025 trade fair. (Photo: THANH YEN)

Tilapia fish migrate across the ocean to Brazil.

The first containers carrying 24 tons of tilapia from Vietnam, expected to arrive at the port of Santos in Brazil on December 17th, represent not only an export deal but also a new strategic milestone for Vietnam's seafood industry.

These are the first tons of tilapia in a total order of 700 tons that Nam Viet Joint Stock Company (Navico), Long Xuyen ward, An Giang province, is exporting to JBS Group of Brazil (the largest food group in South America).

Navico's General Director, Doan Toi, stated that winning over prestigious corporations like JBS is proof of the processing capabilities, product quality, and position of Vietnamese businesses on the global seafood map.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Brazil Bui Van Nghi also shared that the event of Vietnam exporting 700 tons of tilapia to Brazil represents a new development in economic and trade cooperation, realizing the agreement to open agricultural markets to each other between the two countries.

Accordingly, Vietnam opened its market to Brazilian beef, and Brazil opened its market to Vietnamese tilapia, catfish, and basa. With traditional markets facing unpredictable fluctuations, opening up new markets is a necessary step for Vietnam's seafood industry to maintain stable growth in the future.

The export of the first batch of tilapia to Brazil can be seen as a "breakthrough," helping to access the potentially lucrative South American market.

Brazil, the largest economy in South America and a key member of the Southern Common Market (Mercosur), could well become a gateway for Vietnamese seafood to penetrate deeper into the region.

This prospect becomes even clearer as the Ministry of Industry and Trade expects to complete the commencement of negotiations for the Vietnam-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement in the fourth quarter of 2025. Meanwhile, in the Nordic region, Sweden is not a prominent destination on the world tuna market map, but it is a strategic niche market that brings a "prestigious, high-quality" brand image along with high profit margins for tuna exporting businesses.

The Swedish market is a competitive arena for high-end seafood exporters who prioritize sustainability and offer differentiated products.

According to tuna market expert Nguyen Ha (Vietnam Association of Seafood Processing and Export - VASEP), Swedish consumers are known for prioritizing health and are willing to pay more for products with environmental certifications, legal fishing practices, and transparent supply chains. Therefore, "sustainability" and "responsibility" are key competitive advantages.

According to Vietnam Customs, Vietnam's tuna exports to Sweden are steadily increasing, reaching nearly $4.7 million in the first 10 months of 2015, a nearly 100% increase compared to the whole year of 2019.

Processing frozen shrimp for export at the Coastal Economic Development Company (COFIDEC), Ho Chi Minh City. (Photo: Contributor)

By meeting the stringent standards of the Swedish market, Vietnamese businesses now possess a "prestigious passport" to expand into neighboring markets such as Norway, Denmark, and Finland, where consumer trends are similar.

In the context of increasingly fierce global competition, conquering niche but demanding markets like Sweden is vivid proof of the capabilities of Vietnamese businesses, as they rapidly transform from a "raw material selling" model to a "selling sustainable products and solutions" model, an inevitable direction for the tuna export industry in the near future.

Catfish on the Sushi table

Recently, the Vietnamese Commercial Counselor in Japan announced that, for the first time, Vietnamese pangasius fish has been officially processed into sushi and served at the famous Kura Sushi restaurant chain in Japan.

What's particularly noteworthy is that Japanese consumers have given high praise and appreciation to the quality of this catfish sushi, noting its smooth, white flesh and mild, harmonious flavor with wasabi and soy sauce, offering a novel experience compared to traditional fish used for sushi.

The appearance of pangasius on sushi tables in Japan not only marks a new milestone in cultural integration but also serves as proof of its freshness and quality, meeting all the stringent food safety standards of one of the world's leading high-end markets.

Just three years ago, the announcement by a leading Vietnamese company specializing in processing and exporting pangasius fish that it would include pangasius on Japanese sushi menus shocked those following the seafood industry.

They were "shocked" because, until then, pangasius had only been considered a cheap substitute, and traditionally, Japanese consumers had a clear preference for wild-caught seafood, rather than imported freshwater fish products like pangasius.

For the Japanese, sushi is not just a dish, but the essence of their culinary culture. The acceptance of pangasius in sushi at a major restaurant chain demonstrates that the product is made from legally sourced ingredients, possesses sufficient quality and distinctive flavor to stand alongside traditionally sourced seafood in one of the world's most stringent culinary standards.

Besides the booming export value and established brand presence of pangasius in the global market, surimi (a type of processed and refined minced fish meat) is becoming a highlight in Vietnam's seafood exports.

According to market expert Nguyen Ha, in the first 10 months of 2025, Vietnam's exports of fish cakes and surimi recorded growth exceeding expectations, reaching $292 million, a 24% increase compared to the same period in 2024.

This upward trend is driven by recovering demand in many major markets such as South Korea, Thailand, China, and especially the European Union (EU).

This result not only affirms Vietnam's increasingly solid position in the global surimi industry but also opens up new opportunities for businesses in the latter half of 2025 and 2026. Vietnamese seafood exports are entering the final days of 2025.

Overcoming countless difficulties, from global geopolitical instability and tariff policies to natural disasters and floods that have caused particularly severe consequences for aquaculture and fisheries, Vietnam's fisheries sector continues to develop strongly and resiliently, with the prospect of achieving an unprecedented new record: Exports reaching US$11.3 billion in 2025.

To conquer new records, Vietnam's seafood industry has opened up potential markets and created new, unique products through quality and sustainable certification.

Looking to the future, Vietnam's seafood industry is once again taking its "first steps" in building investment partnerships in new markets, such as Algeria and Cuba.

According to Le Quan/nhandan.vn

Source: https://baovinhlong.com.vn/kinh-te/202512/nganh-thuy-san-khai-mo-khong-gian-phat-trien-moi-4ca17d0/