Seafood exports could set historic record

Ms. Le Hang - Deputy General Secretary of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) said that despite the unpredictable fluctuations of the world market, the Vietnamese seafood industry is on track to "finish" 2025 in a spectacular way. With the initiative of businesses and impressive growth momentum from key product groups, this year's export turnover is expected to set a new record, the highest ever.

In November 2025, the seafood export picture continued to record bright colors when reaching a turnover of nearly 990 million USD, an increase of 6.6% over the same period in 2024. This result not only reflects market demand but also shows the acumen and initiative of Vietnamese enterprises.

Specifically, businesses have accelerated deliveries to the US before the market is expected to apply new regulations on seafood imports, as well as before the final results of the anti-dumping lawsuit on shrimp products.

Vietnam's seafood exports by 2025 are forecast to exceed 11 billion USD.

In terms of product structure in November, many key groups recorded positive growth. Of which, shrimp reached over 385 million USD, up 11.7%. Notably, both white-leg shrimp and lobster achieved double-digit growth. Pangasius reached nearly 197 million USD, up 9.7%. Other groups such as marine fish, squid and mollusks continued to maintain a positive improvement trend.

Regarding the market, while exports to the US decreased slightly by nearly 5% due to cautious factors, markets in the CPTPP bloc, China - Hong Kong, EU and Brazil recorded strong increases in purchasing power, making up for the shortage.

In the first 11 months of 2025, Vietnam's total seafood export turnover reached more than 10.5 billion USD, an impressive growth of 14.6% over the same period last year.

In particular, the shrimp industry continued to affirm its position as the leading industry with a turnover of 4.31 billion USD, up 21.2%. Pangasius also brought in more than 2 billion USD (up 9%); tuna reached 855.7 million USD. The groups of mollusks, marine fish and value-added products all maintained double-digit growth, showing an effective shift in product structure.

In terms of consumption markets in the past 11 months, the CPTPP bloc accounted for the largest proportion (27.2%) and grew strongly by 24.3%. China - Hong Kong accelerated impressively with an increase of 30.6%. While the EU increased by 11.9%, the US market reached 1.78 billion USD, up 8.1%. However, this market has begun to show signs of slowing down in the fourth quarter due to upcoming trade barriers.

According to Ms. Le Hang, in December 2025, exports are expected to decrease slightly compared to November due to seasonal factors and the cautious mentality of businesses when trading with the US market. Currently, many businesses are temporarily limiting new seafood orders to the US to wait for official instructions on new import regulations. However, shrimp exports are expected to maintain their performance thanks to stable demand from Japan, the EU and the CPTPP bloc.

Based on the positive results of the past 11 months and the year-end outlook, VASEP believes that Vietnam’s seafood exports in 2025 will officially set a new record, reaching 11.2 – 11.3 billion USD. This is the highest figure in the history of the development of Vietnam’s seafood industry.

However, according to the Deputy Secretary General of VASEP, the US tightening of import requirements from 2026 will pose a significant challenge. To maintain its position in major markets, Vietnamese seafood enterprises need to prepare carefully in all aspects: from supply chain transparency, strict compliance with labor standards, regulations against IUU fishing, to increasing the proportion of value-added products to meet the increasingly stringent requirements of the international market.

Minh Thu

Source: https://doanhnghiepvn.vn/kinh-te/xuat-khau-thuy-san-co-the-lap-ky-luc-lich-su/20251208100601624