Vietnam’s fisheries sector recorded positive signals in the first months of 2025, with many strong growth indicators, especially in its key product — shrimp. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, total seafood export turnover in Q1/2025 reached USD 2.29 billion, up 18.1% year on year. Of this, shrimp exports brought in USD 943 million, surging 37.8% — becoming a bright spot for the entire agricultural sector.
HIGHEST GROWTH IN 4 YEARS, SEAFOOD LEADS THE RECOVERY
At the Q1/2025 briefing conference held on the afternoon of April 13, Minister of Agriculture and Environment Do Duc Duy said that growth across the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sector reached 3.74%, the highest in Q1 over the past four years (higher than 2022 – 3.36%; 2023 – 3.01%; and 2024 – 3.50%). Notably, the fisheries sector played a leading role, making an important contribution to this positive result.
Total export turnover for the sector in the first three months reached USD 15.72 billion (up 13.1% compared with the same period in 2024), while imports reached USD 11.32 billion, helping the sector achieve a trade surplus of nearly USD 4.4 billion.
SHRIMP EXPORTS SURGE - NEW EXPECTATIONS FOR 2025
Shrimp continues to affirm its position as it accounts for a large share of total seafood export value. With nearly USD 1 billion in Q1, Vietnamese shrimp has shown strong appeal in the international market, thanks to recovering demand in major markets such as the United States, the EU, and Japan, along with efforts by industry businesses to improve quality, traceability, and compliance with international standards.
PROACTIVE MANAGEMENT, PREPARING TO RESPOND TO RISKS FROM INTERNATIONAL MARKETS
The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is also actively developing scenarios to respond to global fluctuations. In Q1, the Ministry implemented measures to respond to the possibility of the United States imposing reciprocal tariffs on goods from Vietnam — including seafood. At the same time, the Ministry has coordinated with industry associations to improve the legal framework related to product quality and standards.
TOWARD Q2/2025: MAINTAINING THE GROWTH MOMENTUM OF SEAFOOD
In the coming time, the agriculture and environment sector will continue to prioritize solutions to maintain and expand the growth momentum of seafood exports, especially shrimp. Effectively leveraging free trade agreements (FTAs), improving product quality and processing capacity are expected to continue driving sustainable growth for Vietnamese seafood in Q2 and throughout 2025.
Hung Vo
Source: vietnamplus.vn
