According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers, the global seafood market is projected to experience considerable fluctuations in 2025. Factors such as shifting consumer habits, tariff policies, and supply-demand dynamics will directly impact Vietnam’s seafood exports. Notably, declining demand in key markets such as China and the U.S. will present significant challenges for major export products, including shrimp, pangasius, and tuna.
Conversely, rising demand from ASEAN markets and supportive tariff policies from major economies will help Vietnam’s seafood industry maintain its growth momentum in 2025.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien highlighted that gaining access to the U.S. market and obtaining equivalence recognition is a challenging mission. Vinh Hoan Corporation, a pioneering Vietnamese business with large-scale operations, an integrated supply chain, and high-value-added processing, has successfully met the strict requirements to be exempt from U.S. anti-dumping tariffs.
In addition to Vinh Hoan, eight other Vietnamese businesses have also secured export rights for pangasius to the U.S. market. These companies operate on a large scale and have received official recognition by the U.S. for maintaining equivalent production standards. Every year, U.S. authorities conduct inspections in Vietnam to assess food safety measures, and these businesses have consistently met the required standards, with a focus on compliance with U.S. regulations.
Pangasius exports to the U.S. currently account for approximately 17% of Vietnam’s total pangasius export volume. Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien expressed optimism that companies currently exporting to the U.S. will be able to maintain their growth trajectory.
In the tuna sector, exports from Vietnam saw a 17.7% decline in January 2025, reaching just over 65 million USD. However, with steady demand growth for tuna products in key markets such as the U.S. and the EU, the industry is expected to rapidly recover in 2025.
Vietnam’s export markets have shown significant divergence in consumption trends. Whereas exports to China and Hong Kong skyrocketed by 64.9%, the U.S. and EU markets struggled, experiencing declines of 16% and 17.6%, respectively
The development of value-added products, improvements in product quality, and the expansion into new export markets will be critical factors in ensuring the sustainable growth of Vietnam’s seafood industry in the years ahead.
By AT Seafood Team
Source: Vietnam Agricultural Newspaper
