Vietnam’s seafood exports surged to nearly USD 8.17 billion in the first nine months of 2025, marking a 13% increase over the same period last year, according to preliminary data from the General Department of Customs, cited by the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Information and Industry Center.
In September alone, shipments totaled just over USD 1.01 billion, down 5.6% from August but up nearly 10% year-on-year, reflecting seasonal fluctuations alongside sustained global demand.
China remained Vietnam’s top seafood market, absorbing 19.96% of total exports at more than USD 1.63 billion, a 34.5% jump from the same period in 2024. The United States was the second-largest market, taking 17.36% of shipments at nearly USD 1.42 billion, up 6.3% year-on-year. Exports to Japan rose 11.2% to almost USD 1.24 billion, representing 15.1% of total seafood shipments. The EU accounted for 10.3% of exports, totaling over USD 841 million, up 11.6%, while Southeast Asia took 6.25% of shipments, reaching nearly USD 510 million, a rise of 18.4%.
By product category, shrimp continued to lead, with nine-month exports surpassing USD 3.38 billion, a 20.3% increase, driven by steady demand in major markets such as the U.S., Japan, and the EU, as well as rising orders from other Asian buyers. Despite facing multiple challenges in the U.S., including three concurrent tariffs (retaliatory, anti-dumping, and countervailing duties), Vietnamese shrimp maintained robust growth.
The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) reported that shrimp exports in September alone reached USD 410 million, lifting the year-to-date total to USD 3.38 billion, up 20.3% year-on-year. VASEP highlighted a notable global shift from raw shrimp toward higher-value-added products, a trend that Vietnamese producers and processors are increasingly adopting. Today, value-added shrimp account for 30-40% of Vietnam’s total shrimp exports, offering significant growth potential for the sector.
VFM
