In January 2026, Vietnam’s seafood exports reached US$874 million, a 13% increase compared to the same period last year, primarily driven by the Asian market.
The first month of 2026 marked a positive trend for Vietnam’s seafood industry. According to data from the Vietnam Association of Seafood Processing and Export (VASEP), the total export value of the entire industry in January reached US$874 million.
This result represents a 13% increase compared to the same period last year. Experts say this growth stems from increased consumer demand in Asian countries.
The Chinese and Hong Kong markets hold the leading position in terms of seafood imports from Vietnam. In January 2026, the value of exports to these markets reached nearly US$250 million, an increase of 28.7% compared to the same period last year.
The demand for goods related to the Lunar New Year in China has driven these results. In particular, high-end lobster products have seen strong sales. Many exporters have focused on accelerating deliveries to take advantage of the increased market demand before the long holiday period.
Besides China, other markets in Asia also recorded stable growth figures. Seafood exports to Japan reached US$146 million, a 21.3% increase compared to January 2025. Products such as processed shrimp, frozen pangasius fillets, and squid are key products in this market.
The ASEAN region achieved a trade turnover of US$69 million, a strong increase of 32.2% thanks to the increase in intra-regional trade. The South Korean market also contributed over US$67 million to the total turnover, a 9.1% increase compared to the same period last year due to strong consumption of harvested seafood products.
In terms of product structure, shrimp remains the largest contributor of value to the fisheries sector. Shrimp exports in January reached $331 million, an increase of 6.4% and accounting for nearly 38% of total export value.
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