Despite facing numerous fluctuations, particularly from the US market, Vietnam’s seafood exports in the first 10 months of 2025 still recorded positive results, reaching over $9.5 billion, a 15% increase compared to the same period last year. In this overall picture, lobster, tilapia, fish cakes, and surimi stood out as bright spots with impressive growth.
Lobster, tilapia, and surimi are driving the growth.
According to data from the Vietnam Association of Seafood Processing and Export (VASEP), the export landscape for seafood products shows a clear differentiation:
– Shrimp: Continues to be a key product with export value exceeding $3.9 billion in the first 10 months. The focus of the shrimp industry this year is lobster, with explosive growth of 135%, reaching a record $712 million. The main driving force comes from the huge demand from the Chinese market for live, high-end shrimp.
– Pangasius: Ranked second with an export value of approximately 1.8 billion USD.
– Tilapia: Emerging as a promising new bright spot, with an impressive growth rate of 220%, reaching $62 million. Strong demand from the US and Europe is helping tilapia establish itself as a strategic commodity.
– Fish cakes and surimi: Recorded growth exceeding expectations at 24%, reaching $292 million. Recovered demand in major markets such as South Korea, Thailand, and especially the EU (up 73%) strongly boosted this sector.
– Tuna: This was the only product to record a decline, with export value for the first 10 months reaching $791 million, nearly 4% lower than the same period last year. The main reasons were raw material shortages and supply chain disruptions due to conflicts in the Middle East.
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