China remained Vietnam’s largest seafood importer during the quarter, accounting for around $764 million, up nearly 45% year-on-year. In March alone, shipments to the market exceeded $250 million, marking growth of more than 50%, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters.
The country is also the largest consumption market for Vietnamese pangasius.
In the shrimp segment, growth was mostly driven by lobster. Exports of whiteleg shrimp, Vietnam’s key product in the U.S. and EU markets, held steady.
Other seafood categories, including crab, swimming crab and molluscs, benefited from rising demand across Asian markets. Meanwhile, tilapia exports soared 190% year-on-year to an estimated $35 million in the first quarter.
The strong performance in China played a decisive role in maintaining overall sectoral growth amid a decline in exports to several markets.
Seafood exports to the U.S. fell by more than 10% in the quarter due to weak demand and technical barriers, including Certificates of Analysis requirements under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and anti-dumping duties on shrimp. Exports to Japan and South Korea also declined by around 10%.
Shipments to the EU were largely unchanged while those bound for ASEAN, Australia and several emerging markets maintained growth momentum.
Shrimps being processed for export in southern Ca Mau Province. Photo by Read/An Minh |
According to Le Hang, the association’s deputy secretary general, China emerged as the main growth driver thanks to seasonal consumption, stable demand and favorable logistics conditions.
Lunar New Year consumption boosted imports of whole shrimp, live seafood and premium products from late 2025 through early 2026, contributing to sharp increases in high-value items such as lobster.
Demand in China’s mid- and high-end segments also remained resilient. Shrimp imports rose by about 18% in the first two months of the year, partly thanks to tariff changes and supply disruptions affecting lobster supplies from Canada.
Vietnam’s geographic proximity and flexible supply chains enabled its exporters to respond quickly to short-term demand surges during peak consumption periods.
However, Hang cautioned that part of the strong growth reflected seasonal factors rather than long-term structural recovery. Increased exports were partly driven by stockpiling and festive demand, meaning growth could moderate in the coming months.
Export turnover in March alone was estimated at around $927 million, a 5% year-on-year increase, slower than the roughly 20% growth recorded in the first two months.
Competitive pressure is also intensifying, especially from major suppliers such as Ecuador, reinforcing the need for Vietnam’s seafood industry to diversify markets.
Nonetheless, the association expects seafood exports to continue expanding in the second quarter, with shrimp and pangasius likely to remain key growth drivers.
Comments are closed.