China emerged as the leading importer in the quarter, with its mollusc imports from Vietnam exceeding 23 million USD, a staggering rise of nearly 2,000%.
Industry insiders pointed to stable raw material prices and a strategic shift towards higher-value processed products as key factors underpinning the strong performance of the two top earners -shrimp and tra fish.
According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), Vietnam’s shrimp exports aim to reach 4–4.3 billion USD in 2025. In January 2025, shrimp remained the strongest-growing export item, with an export value of 273.349 million USD, accounting for 35.3% of total seafood export turnover.
Ample room remain for boosting trade cooperation between Vietnam and Malaysia, including the export of Vietnamese tra (pangsius) fish, as both countries strive to capitalise on regional trade agreements such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), experts have said.
Vietnam's seafood industry is riding a wave of success, with November exports reeling in an impressive 924 million USD, a 17% annual increase, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).
The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers forecasts that the total export value of fishery products for 2024 will hit 9.5 billion USD, and in the best scenario, it may even reach 10 billion USD.
Value-added pangasius products, including dried fish maws and fish skin snacks, are increasingly popular among international consumers, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).
Vietnam's aquatic product exports are on track to hit a target of 9.5 billion USD by the end of this year, buoyed by sustained positive growth in recent months, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).
Vietnam’s seafood exports remained heavily dependent on natural sources, which have become increasingly difficult to secure due to tightening regulations and limited local marine farming, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).
Despite facing many difficulties and competition from many countries, Vietnamese shrimp exporters have proactive strategies to maintain exports by shifting export markets to avoid dependence on traditional import markets.
Vietnam earned 4.4 billion USD from exporting aquatic products in the first half of this year, up nearly 7% year-on-year, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers has reported.
The Vietnam Trade Office in Singapore has advised Vietnamese exporters to carefully study and keep updated on new regulations in Singapore, a market that is becoming more cautious in trade policy, in order to further exploit this market.
In order for Vietnam's aquatic product exports to reach the target of 10 billion USD this year, businesses need to be more adaptative and adjust their operation plans to suit the market context, according to Chairwoman of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) Nguyen Thi Thu Sac.
The demand for aquatic products is expected to pick up from the third quarter of 2024, with many associated challenges requiring advertisements and the diversification of business products and markets, insiders have said at a conference held by the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) in Ho Chi Minh City on June 10.
It is necessary to develop more detailed and consistent regulations on seafood production for export in line with the implementation of solutions towards sustainable and responsible fishing practices, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).
Vietnam’s tra fish export to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reached more than 7 million USD in the first quarter of this year, a rise of 67% against the same period last year, statistics of the General Department of Customs showed.