Vietnam's tilapia exports skyrocket

The fish is small but swims fast

Tilapia has export potential to bring in large turnover in the future.

PHOTO: VASEP

According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), if in 2024 tilapia export turnover only reached 13.26 million USD, by the end of the third quarter of 2025, the small fish with a typical countryside flavor brought in an export turnover of 57.3 million USD, an increase of 332% over the same period in 2024. Especially in August and September, when the world supply fluctuated strongly, Vietnamese enterprises took advantage of the opportunity to accelerate export speed, earning an average of nearly 10 million USD per month. Vietnamese tilapia products are now present in many markets, of which the US is a key market, accounting for a large proportion of total export turnover.

Analysts say the tilapia market has been volatile due to China, the world's largest tilapia producer (1.6 million tons/year), being subject to a 55% tax when exporting to the US, causing orders to decrease and many contracts to be postponed or canceled. Fish prices have increased slightly, but farming costs have increased sharply, causing businesses to lose money and record high inventories. In addition, another major tilapia supplier, Brazil, which was expected to replace China , has also been subject to a 50% tax from the US since August, causing exports to stagnate, forcing many businesses to increase prices, losing their competitive advantage.

After being hit with high export taxes to the US, both countries turned to the domestic market for consumption, but with low efficiency due to high production costs. Small and medium-sized enterprises, which serve the domestic market, are facing price competition. Overall, the Chinese and Brazilian tilapia industries are facing double difficulties with slowing exports, falling prices and weak market sentiment. According to some forecasts, global tilapia supply will remain stable at 7 million tons in 2025, thanks to strong recovery in major producing countries such as China, Indonesia, Egypt, Bangladesh, in which Vietnam is emerging as a potential tilapia supplier due to its rapid expansion of production capacity.

What do Vietnamese businesses need to prepare?

Vietnamese tilapia exporting enterprises have agreed to establish a Club under VASEP.

PHOTO: VASEP

Entering the fourth quarter of 2025, Vietnam’s tilapia export growth has slowed down due to the temporary increase in inventory in the US after a period of strong imports in the previous months. This shows that Vietnam needs to shift from taking advantage of short-term opportunities to developing a long-term strategy, focusing on improving product quality, diversifying markets and building a sustainable Vietnamese tilapia brand.

According to Rabobank, experience from China and Brazil shows that dependence on a single market or product makes the seafood industry vulnerable to policy fluctuations. When the US increased tariffs, both countries had difficulty in turning orders and maintaining exports, leading to a loss of market share. For Vietnam, this is the time to turn short-term opportunities into long-term strategies. The tilapia industry should proactively diversify markets, expand to Europe, the Middle East, South America and develop value-added products such as breaded, pre-processed or conveniently packaged tilapia. At the same time, investing in improving breeds, farming technology and deep processing will help increase productivity, reduce costs and meet sustainability standards.

On November 14, VASEP held a conference of tilapia production and export enterprises to agree to establish the "VASEP Tilapia Production and Export Enterprise Club". According to enterprises, in the current context of the Vietnamese seafood industry , which is promoting a strategy to diversify farmed species and export products, tilapia is emerging as a potential industry, suitable for international consumption trends and domestic production conditions. In 2024, tilapia exports reached more than 41 million USD and are expected to increase to 83 million USD in 2025, more than double. Many member enterprises have invested in farming areas, applied deep processing technology, developed value-added products and gradually formed a stable, high-quality and competitive tilapia export supply chain.

With the forecast of global tilapia production continuing to increase and consumer trends prioritizing environmentally friendly products, Vietnam has the opportunity to build its own tilapia brand, consolidate its position in the global supply chain, not only filling a temporary gap, but also aiming to become a strategic, sustainable and high-value supplier.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/xuat-khau-ca-ro-phi-viet-vut-sang-185251117153727225.htm