Leading consumers of Vietnamese seafood in 2025

The US economy is expected to remain stable and experience strong recovery in 2025, which will present significant opportunities for Vietnam’s seafood industry. Last year saw Vietnam’s seafood exports to this market grow by 16%, reaching over US$1.8 billion. Key products such as white-legged shrimp, black tiger shrimp, pangasius, tuna, crab, and blue crab all recorded positive growth.

One of the significant challenges for Vietnam’s seafood exports to the US in 2025 will be the potential impact of new US tax and trade policies, particularly changes in tariffs.

Meanwhile, Vietnam’s seafood industry has a strong opportunity in China, given its strategic position as a key market with a growing economy and geographic advantage, which helps reduce logistics costs compared to other major markets. However, the competition from China’s domestic market and its increasing exports to ASEAN countries like Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines presents significant challenges for Vietnam.

In this context, Vietnam could increase its market share, particularly in markets like the US, if China’s exports to the US decline due to new tariff policies or trade wars.

VASEP recognizes ASEAN as a key market for Vietnam’s seafood industry, especially given the region's expected leadership in driving global economic growth in 2025. Despite competition from China and India, ASEAN remains a promising market for Vietnam's seafood exports.

However, the consumption of seafood in the lucrative market of ASEAN that comprises 10 countries including Vietnam could be impacted by a possible fall in the middle class in Indonesia, the largest economy in ASEAN, and an economic slowdown in Thailand

Elsewhere, the Middle East, while accounting for less than 4% of Vietnam’s total seafood export value, is considered a promising market. The demand for seafood in the region is growing rapidly, especially as countries in the region transition from oil-dependent economies to developing non-oil industries such as tourism, technology, and food processing.

Countries like the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait heavily rely on seafood imports to meet local consumption needs. Therefore, the demand for seafood imports from countries like China, India, and Vietnam will continue to rise in the coming years.

According to VASEP, Vietnam also has significant potential to export seafood to other markets such as the European Union and Japan, in addition to the United States, China, ASEAN, and the Middle East.