AsemconnectVietnam - At the first quarter 2026 trade promotion meeting with the Vietnamese Trade Offices abroad, representatives of the Vietnamese Trade Office in the UAE stated that this market continues to be a potential destination for many Vietnamese export businesses, including the seafood industry.

According to Mr. Truong Xuan Trung – Head of the Vietnamese Trade Office in the UAE, this country is one of the major trade and logistics centers in the Middle East, with a high degree of market openness. In 2025, the total non-oil trade turnover of the UAE reached approximately US$1.05 trillion, of which exports and re-exports reached US$228 billion, while imports amounted to nearly US$800 billion. The large scale of imports makes the UAE an important consumer market, as well as a transit gateway for goods to the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia.
Vietnam-UAE trade relations have seen many positive signs. In 2025, the bilateral trade turnover was estimated to exceed US$6.5 billion, with Vietnam achieving a trade surplus of nearly US$5 billion. In the first two months of 2026 alone, Vietnam's exports to the UAE reached nearly US$1 billion, an increase of approximately 10% compared to the same period last year.
For the seafood industry, products such as shrimp and pangasius are considered to have significant growth potential in this market, especially with the entry into force of the Vietnam-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, which will reduce tariffs on many food and agricultural products from 5% to 0%.
However, businesses also need to be aware of the risks posed by regional conflicts in the Middle East, which could disrupt transportation, prolong delivery times, and increase logistics costs. In this context, proactively updating market information, diversifying products, and strengthening trade promotion are considered crucial factors for Vietnamese seafood businesses to expand their market share in this market.
CK
Source: VITIC/vasep.com.vn