WNAM MONITORING: Vietnam’s seafood exports reached an estimated 874 million USD in January, marking a 13% year-on-year increase, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).
The result reflects efforts by seafood enterprises to maintain early-year order momentum amid continued pressure from technical barriers and tariff-related factors in several major markets.
Growth in the first month of this year was driven mainly by Asian markets, particularly China, Japan and ASEAN, and by strong performance in key product groups such as pangasius and squid, octopus.
In contrast, exports to the US declined noticeably, especially for tuna, due to the impact of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and difficulties related to the issuance of certificates of analysis (COA) for seafood exports.
Exports to Japan, ASEAN and the Republic of Korea also recorded solid growth. Shipments to Japan climbed 21.3% year-on-year to almost 146 million USD, supported by steady demand for processed shrimp, frozen pangasius fillets, and squid and octopus. Exports to ASEAN surged 32.2% to around 69 million USD, reflecting stronger intra-regional trade and rising consumption in markets such as Thailand, the Philippines and Singapore. Meanwhile, exports to the RoK rose 9.1% to more than 67 million USD, driven mainly by squid, octopus and pangasius.
By contrast, exports to the European Union fell 6.3% to nearly 72 million USD, due to weak demand and carry-over inventories from late 2025, particularly for molluscs and crab products. Shipments to the Middle East also declined 9.4% to about 21 million USD, following a period of strong imports at the end of last year.
Pangasius emerged as the brightest spot, with export value exceeding 177 million USD, up 33.2%, making it the fastest-growing product group in January. Strong demand from China, ASEAN and Japan supported this performance. Squid and octopus exports also rose sharply, reaching nearly 69 million USD, up 30.9%, thanks to robust consumption in Japan and the RoK.
Meanwhile, tuna exports dropped 14% to around 57 million USD, and shipments of crab and other crustaceans declined 10.6% to about 31 million USD, while bivalve molluscs fell 11.7% to approximately 20 million USD, mainly because of sluggish demand in the EU.
