Viet Nam’s seafood industry is entering a strong recovery phase, with export turnover expected to reach USD 11.5–12 billion in 2026. Shrimp continues to drive sector growth, while new developments from the United States’ POR20 anti-dumping review are creating additional competitive opportunities for selected Vietnamese exporters. However, ongoing trade volatility and rising cold-chain transportation pressures continue to place higher demands on export logistics operations.

Seafood exports maintain growth momentum

Following a period affected by inflation and weakening global consumer demand, Viet Nam’s seafood sector is showing clear signs of recovery.

Seafood export turnover reached approximately USD 10.04 billion in 2024. In 2025, the figure increased to around USD 11.29 billion, representing growth of more than 12%.

During the first four months of 2026, seafood exports continued to rise by approximately 14–15% year-on-year, reaching nearly USD 4 billion. At the current pace, the industry is moving toward the government’s USD 11.5 billion target and could approach the USD 12 billion mark if demand in key markets continues to improve.

Product categories recording positive growth include shrimp, pangasius, shellfish, and value-added processed seafood products.

Growth is being supported by recovering import demand in the United States, China, and ASEAN markets, along with a shift in sourcing toward suppliers capable of meeting stricter traceability requirements and maintaining stable delivery performance.

Shrimp remains the primary growth driver

Within Viet Nam’s seafood export structure, shrimp continues to account for more than 40% of total sector export value.

In the first four months of 2026, shrimp exports reached approximately USD 1.5 billion, up around 15% compared to the same period last year. Processed shrimp products continue to maintain advantages in multiple markets due to their ability to meet increasingly strict technical and quality standards.

Many Vietnamese exporters are now focusing on processed shrimp, peeled shrimp, value-added products, and product lines supplied to retail and foodservice systems in the United States, Japan, and Europe.

Meanwhile, major competitors such as India, Ecuador, and Indonesia continue to face pressure related to tariffs, quality control, and product positioning.

This creates opportunities for Vietnamese exporters to expand market share in higher-value product segments rather than competing solely on low pricing.

The United States announces preliminary anti-dumping duties on Vietnamese shrimp

On May 8, 2026, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced its preliminary results in the 20th administrative review (POR20) of anti-dumping duties applied to frozen warmwater shrimp imported from Viet Nam.

The preliminary findings indicate that duty levels for many Vietnamese exporters are significantly lower than in previous review periods. Specifically:

• Two mandatory respondents received preliminary duty rates of 6.76% and 10.76%
• Twenty-seven companies qualified for separate rates of approximately 7.56%
• Companies not eligible for separate-rate status continue to face duties of 25.76%

Compared to previous review cycles, the latest results are considered more favorable for exporters with stronger compliance, traceability systems, and transparent export documentation.

Earlier, in the final results of POR19 announced in early 2026, separate-rate companies saw anti-dumping duties reduced sharply from 35.29% to approximately 4.58%.

Lower overall duty levels are helping exporters:

• Improve pricing competitiveness
• Maintain orders in the U.S. market
• And plan exports more effectively over the long term

However, trade risks remain as the United States continues to maintain strict monitoring measures on imported shrimp products.
 

 
Trade volatility continues to pressure cold-chain operations

In addition to tariff-related issues, the seafood industry continues to face major disruptions from volatility in the global shipping market.

Changes in shipping routes, transshipment schedules, and refrigerated container availability continue to impact logistics costs during the first half of 2026.

For frozen seafood products, logistics extends beyond transportation and directly affects:

• Cargo quality
• Storage duration
• Delivery speed
• The ability to maintain export contracts

Many exporters are currently dealing with:

• Seasonal shortages of refrigerated containers
• Longer transshipment waiting times
• Stricter temperature-control requirements throughout the shipping process
• Growing demands for shipment visibility and logistics data transparency

As a result, optimizing vessel schedules, selecting suitable transport routes, and maintaining cold-chain stability are becoming critical factors in export efficiency.

Cold-chain logistics becomes a competitive factor for exporters

Increasing requirements related to traceability, quality control, and delivery performance are turning logistics into a critical part of seafood exporters’ competitive strategy.

Rather than focusing solely on pricing, many exporters are prioritizing:

• Delivery schedule stability
• Supply chain risk management
• Container storage cost optimization
• Shipment visibility throughout the transportation process.

These capabilities are especially important in demanding markets such as the United States, Japan, and Europe, where product quality and supply chain transparency requirements continue to tighten.

As seafood exports recover, demand for specialised cold-chain logistics solutions is expected to increase further, particularly across the Mekong Delta and Viet Nam’s major seafood processing hubs.

>> Read more: Part 2: China Becomes As The Largest Import Market

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