The EVFTA has enabled many Vietnamese seafood products to enjoy tariff reductions or exemptions when exported to the EU, creating significant competitive advantages for shrimp, tuna, pangasius, squid, and octopus.

After five years of implementation, the benefits brought by the EVFTA have become increasingly clear and practical for enterprises on both sides. Vietnam’s seafood industry is gradually taking effective advantage of the opportunities provided by free trade agreements.

Seafood exports to the EU slowed down and declined in June 2025; however, overall exports in the first six months still increased. Vietnam’s seafood exports to the EU face certain challenges: the EU imposes strict requirements on quality, food safety, and traceability. These technical barriers are mandatory for market access, but they also pose major obstacles for many exporters.

According to Vietnam Customs statistics, Vietnam’s seafood exports to the EU in June 2025 reached USD101.5 million, down 2.9% compared to May 2025 but up 6.6% compared to June 2024.

In the first six months of 2025, Vietnam’s seafood exports to the EU reached USD561.8 million, an increase of 16.09% year-on-year. Thus, exports to the EU accounted for 10.9% of Vietnam’s total seafood export value.

According to Vietnam Customs data, Germany is the largest importer of Vietnamese seafood in the EU, with a value of USD17.5 million in June 2025, down 5.3% from May 2025. In the first half of the year, exports to Germany reached USD100.5 million, up 6.6% year-on-year, accounting for 17.8% of Vietnam’s seafood exports to the EU.

The Netherlands ranked second, with exports valued at USD15.8 million in June 2025, down 16.5% compared to May 2025. For the first half of the year, seafood exports to the Netherlands reached USD100.1 million, up 3.07% year-on-year, equivalent to 15% of Vietnam’s seafood exports to the EU.

Belgium ranked third, with USD17.6 million in June 2025, down 1.7% from May 2025. In the first half, exports to Belgium reached USD81.3 million, up 23.4% year-on-year, accounting for 9.6% of total seafood exports to the EU.

Italy followed with USD8.5 million in June 2025, down 22.8% from May 2025. In the first six months, exports to Italy reached USD54.4 million, up 10.5% year-on-year, accounting for 6.4%.

Table 2: Vietnam’s Seafood Export Markets to the EU in the First Six Months of 2025
(Based on data released on July 10, 2025, by the Vietnam Customs)
Unit: USD

Spain ranked fifth, with exports valued at USD5.7 million in June 2025, down 14.5% from May 2025. In the first half, exports to Spain reached USD36.1 million, up 6.4% year-on-year, accounting for 5.01% of Vietnam’s seafood exports to the EU.

Notably, in addition to the top three markets (Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium) showing solid growth, several other markets posted strong growth in the first half of 2025: Portugal (+56.3%), Lithuania (+40%), Sweden (+39.2%), and Egypt (+36.9%) compared to the same period in 2024.

Meanwhile, some markets recorded declines: Poland (-28.8%), Denmark (-21.3%), Romania (-17.7%), Bulgaria (-37.4%), Croatia (-47.7%), and the Czech Republic (-38.2%).

According to Vietnam Customs, frozen shrimp ranked first among seafood categories exported to the EU in the first half of 2025, with turnover of USD131 million, up 11.6% year-on-year, accounting for 23.3% of total seafood exports. In June 2025, shrimp exports reached USD28.1 million, down 2.5% from May 2025. Belgium led shrimp imports from Vietnam within the EU in June, with USD9.8 million, followed by Germany (USD6.6 million) and the Netherlands (USD3.06 million), accounting for 34.8%, 23.6%, and 10.8%, respectively.

Processed shrimp ranked second, with USD85.04 million in the first half of 2025, up 20.2% year-on-year, accounting for 15.1%. This group includes tuna, pangasius, basa, and various frozen fish products. Fish fillets make up a large proportion of Vietnam’s exports, as they do in overall EU imports. In June 2025, frozen pangasius exports reached USD15.8 million, up from USD14.8 million in May 2025. Germany led with USD3.7 million, followed by the Netherlands (USD3.4 million) and Belgium (USD2.2 million).

Frozen pangasius ranked third, with exports of USD83.3 million in the first half of 2025, up 2.2% year-on-year, accounting for 14.8% of Vietnam’s seafood exports. In June 2025, exports reached USD12 million, down from USD14.9 million in May 2025. The Netherlands led with USD3.4 million (28.4% share), followed by Germany (USD1.9 million, 15.9%) and Belgium (USD1.4 million, 11.6%).

Participation in the EVFTA has strongly influenced Vietnam’s trade turnover. It is projected to boost Vietnam’s exports to the EU by around 42.7% in 2025 and 44.37% in 2030 compared to a no-FTA scenario. For Vietnam’s total exports worldwide, the agreement is expected to raise export turnover by an average of 5.21–8.17% in the first five years, 11.12–15.27% in the next five years, and 17.98–21.95% in the subsequent five years.

Under the EVFTA, about 220 tariff lines for seafood products had base rates of 0–22%. The remaining tariffs will be cut to 0% within 3–7 years, enhancing Vietnam’s price competitiveness compared to similar products from other countries.

Since the EVFTA took effect in August 2020, Vietnam’s seafood exports to the EU have rebounded with strong growth. In 2022, seafood exports to the EU reached over USD1.2 billion, up 20% year-on-year, accounting for 11% of Vietnam’s total seafood exports, making the EU the fourth-largest export market after the US, Japan, and China. However, in 2023, weaker demand led to a drop to USD900 million (-20% year-on-year), reducing the EU share to 10.81%. By 2024, the EU market showed signs of recovery, with exports reaching USD1 billion, up nearly 10% from 2023.

Vietnam’s key seafood exports to the EU from 2000–2024 included shrimp, pangasius, tuna, clams, squid, and octopus. Shrimp and pangasius/basa were the largest categories, accounting for an average of 50% and 14%, respectively.

·         Shrimp: Between 2000–2024, shrimp exports to the EU grew at an average annual rate of 8%. After the EVFTA took effect, tariff preferences boosted shrimp competitiveness, with exports rebounding in 2020 (+6% vs. 2019) to around USD500 million, accounting for 50% of seafood exports to the EU and 13% of Vietnam’s total shrimp exports. By 2024, shrimp exports reached about USD484 million (+15% vs. 2023). The largest importers were Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium, all posting double-digit growth.

·         Pangasius/Basa: From 2000–2024, exports grew at 6% annually, accounting for 14% of seafood exports to the EU. The Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Belgium, and Italy were the main markets. After several years of decline (2017–2021), pangasius exports surged 93% in 2022 to USD204 million (15% of seafood exports to the EU), thanks to rising demand and higher prices.

·         Squid: From 2017–2024, squid exports to the EU grew at 4.7% annually, accounting for 4.5% of seafood exports. Italy, France, Spain, Belgium, and Portugal were the largest importers.

In summary, the EVFTA has created a major price advantage for Vietnamese seafood, especially in competition with similar products from rival exporters in the EU market. It has also strongly promoted EU investment and technology transfer to Vietnam, particularly in deep processing, helping improve added value and product quality.

 T.Huong
Source: Vitic