According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), Vietnam’s pangasius exports maintained positive momentum in the first seven months of 2026, reaching US$1.3 billion, up 10% from the same period in 2025.

Exports in July alone reached US$203 million, up 4%, indicating that overseas sales continued to grow, although the pace slowed compared with previous months.

The US remained one of Vietnam’s key export markets, with shipments worth US$189 million during the seven-month period. However, pangasius exports to the market fell 8% year on year, while July shipments plunged 28% from July 2025.

According to VASEP, pressure in the US market is mounting, particularly following changes to anti-dumping duties.

Under the final results of the 21st administrative review (POR21) of the anti-dumping duty order on frozen Vietnamese pangasius and basa, covering the period from August 1, 2023 to July 31, 2024, released by the US Department of Commerce (DOC) on August 12, duty rates for all companies subject to the review increased sharply from the preliminary results announced in February 2026.

Specifically, compared with the preliminary rates, the anti-dumping duty imposed on Bien Dong, or Bien Dong Seafood Co., Ltd., rose from US$0.29 to US$1 per kilogram, an increase of nearly 245%. The rate for NTSF, or NTSF Seafoods Joint Stock Company, climbed by more than 440%, from US$0.07 to US$0.38 per kilogram.

The rate applied to two companies not individually examined, CASEAMEX, or Can Tho Import-Export Seafood Joint Stock Company, and NAVICO, or Nam Viet Corporation, increased from US$0.23 to US$0.84 per kilogram, equivalent to a rise of about 265%.

Companies subject to the Vietnam-wide rate will face a duty of US$2.39 per kilogram.

VASEP said the POR21 results were unfavorable for Vietnamese pangasius, particularly as the cost of accessing the US market is rising sharply. The outcome could prompt US importers to ask Vietnamese exporters to share tariff costs, lower prices, revise contracts or seek alternative suppliers.

Pressure on the industry is particularly acute as Vietnamese goods exported to the US are also subject to an additional Section 301 tariff of 12.5%.

The additional duties raise the cost of bringing Vietnamese pangasius into the US market, adding competitive pressure against domestically produced catfish and other whitefish products.

In contrast to the US market, Vietnamese pangasius exports are accelerating in China. In July, shipments to the world’s most populous market rose 15% from the same month in 2025.

During the first seven months of the year, pangasius exports to China reached US$357 million, surging 31% year on year and accounting for nearly 27.5% of total export revenue.

The figures underscore China’s continued role as a cornerstone market and an important source of support for Vietnam’s pangasius export growth as several other major markets face mounting challenges.

Tam An