Vietnam’s shrimp exports rose 20% year-on-year to $690 million in the first two months of 2026, but the United States bucked the trend with a 22% drop to just under $60 million. February was particularly sharp, with shipments to the US collapsing 61% to $16 million, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).
China, including Hong Kong, took up much of the slack, importing $309 million worth of Vietnamese shrimp, up 58% and accounting for nearly half of total export value. The EU grew 28% to $77 million, while Japan edged up 1% to $70 million.
The US slump is driven primarily by trade barriers. The US Department of Commerce imposed anti-dumping duties of up to 25.76% on frozen Vietnamese shrimp in its 19th administrative review, with a separate rate of 4.58% applying to 22 other companies. A further 10% supplemental import tariff took effect in late February, while tightening technical requirements on antibiotic controls, HACCP standards and traceability have added to compliance costs.
Conflict in the Middle East is piling on additional pressure in March, forcing vessels onto longer routes and extending delivery times by 10 to 14 days. International freight costs have risen by $2,000 to $4,000 per container, with domestic cold-chain logistics up roughly 500,000 VND ($20) per 40-foot refrigerated container.
VASEP warned that shrimp exports to the US are likely to keep falling through the end of the first quarter. The squeeze is being felt across the entire supply chain: processors are pulling back on orders, while farmers face rising input costs even as finished shrimp prices stagnate or fall.
