According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), in 2025, the global fish cake and surimi market entered a clear recovery cycle after a period of tight consumption. The main drivers come from the trend toward convenient, affordable food, especially in Asia, and modern retail channels in the US and EU. Vietnam’s export turnover for this product group reached over 344 million USD, an increase of 15% compared to 2024 and 13% compared to 2023.
Surimi is a reasonably priced source of protein, easy to process, and suitable for convenient dishes. In the US, the “crab stick” product group continues to spread strongly through retail and online channels due to price and convenience.
In the EU, demand is recovering toward a preference for small, convenient, and cost-optimized packaged products, while some market forecasts suggest that the EU consumes a significant amount of surimi raw material.
Surimi and fish cake exports are forecast to continue to improve in 2026 due to increased global demand, product popularity, and enhanced processing capacity.
It is also thanks to the above trend, along with the efforts of businesses, that 2025 is a positive year for Vietnam’s fish cake and surimi industry. However, growth tends to slow down toward the end of the year.
According to statistics, South Korea, Thailand, China, the EU, and Japan were the top five importers of Vietnamese fish cakes and surimi last year, accounting for over 81% of the total export value. Among them, the EU was the most notable market, with a “late growth momentum” but rapid acceleration toward the end of 2025.
Exports to the EU over the past year reached over 35 million USD, doubling compared to 2024. Exports to the EU grew rapidly at the end of the year, even reaching triple digits. This growth is important because the EU often comes with high standards for profiles and documents.
Exports to the remaining 4 markets in the Top 5 also increased compared to 2024. Exports to China also grew continuously over the past year. Export turnover to this market reached over 54 million USD, an increase of 41%.
Meanwhile, South Korea remains the largest importer of Vietnamese fish cakes and surimi. However, exports to the South Korean market were unstable last year, with many months experiencing declines. Export value reached nearly 83 million USD, an increase of 5%.
According to the VASEP, the global fish cake and surimi market will continue to grow. Consumption demand remains strong, especially in the convenient products segment. However, the trend among importers will be to prioritize suppliers with stable quality, delivery, and standard profiles. The fish cake and surimi industry will continue to face cost pressures and quota factors, with seasonality potentially keeping raw material prices high, especially for whitefish surimi.
The demand for value-added products continues to grow faster than raw materials, especially for products like crab sticks or seasoned fish cakes. Markets will increasingly demand information about labels, additives, allergens, traceability, factory standards, and supply chain responsibility. Based on the above analysis, the VASEP forecasts that Vietnam’s exports of fish cakes and surimi will continue to grow in 2026.