Vietnam’s seafood sector is bracing for a difficult second half of 2025, with export revenue forecast to reach only $9bn for the year Viet Nam News reports —representing a 10% decline compared to 2024. The downturn comes amid mounting challenges, including the new US tariffs and ongoing shortages of raw materials.

Exports to the US—particularly shrimp and tuna—are set to be hardest hit, further exacerbated by existing anti-dumping and countervailing duties. These developments threaten to erode Vietnam’s competitive position against rivals such as Ecuador, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

Despite the looming obstacles, the industry has shown signs of resilience. In the first seven months of 2025, seafood exports reached $6.22bn—an increase of 17.2% year-on-year. Industry figures attribute this growth to improved global demand, greater adaptability among Vietnamese exporters, and efforts to accelerate shipments to the US ahead of the expected tariff implementation.

Shipments to several key markets have risen, with exports to China surging by 43% and exports to the US up by 10.4%, despite a marked slowdown in July. Other markets, including Japan, the European Union, and countries under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), have also contributed to the recovery.

Looking ahead, the sector’s annual export forecast includes $3.6–3.8bn from shrimp, around $1.8bn from pangasius, $850–900mn from tuna, and approximately $3bn from other seafood categories.

Industry leaders have urged exporters to step up investment in quality assurance and adopt modern processing technologies. Diversification of export markets remains a key priority as the industry attempts to insulate itself from the impacts of protectionist policies and fluctuating demand.

Against the backdrop of global uncertainty, the Vietnam Fisheries International Exhibition (Vietfish 2025) is expected to play a crucial role in bolstering the country’s seafood trade in late August at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center in Ho Chi Minh City - an event is billed as Asia’s leading seafood exhibition.