The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) reported that shrimp exports in May 2025 recorded good growth, with both white-leg and black tiger shrimps showing increases in both volume and value.
Specifically, white-leg shrimp exports in May 2025 reached 30,089 tons, an increase of 23% compared to April and a 6% increase compared to the same period last year.
Key markets such as the United States, China, and Hong Kong (China) recorded very strong growth, reaching 72% and 59%, respectively. Exports to South Korea increased by 20%, the EU by 14%, and Japan by 3%. The average export price of shrimp was 9.01 USD/kg, a slight increase of 1% compared to April.
On the domestic market, the price has increased by 5-7% across all sizes due to high export demand, especially from the US, where processors are buying raw materials to complete orders before the expiration of the countervailing duty suspension.
Shrimp exports have good growth since the beginning of the year.
The United States continues to be a bright spot, recording imports of Vietnamese white leg shrimp in May at 7,060 tons, the highest level since October 2024. The average price was 11.60 USD/kg, an increase of 0.9% compared to last month.
Exports to China reached 4,500 tons, the highest level since October, although the average price decreased by 3% to 6.50 USD/kg. The EU continues to be a stable market, with a volume of 4,600 tons and an average price slightly decreasing by 1.3% to 7.60 USD/kg. Japan has maintained a volume of 3,700 tons, with prices increasing by 4.4% to 9.40 USD/kg. Exports to South Korea reached 3,500 tons, with an average price remaining at 7.90 USD/kg.
While white shrimp account for a large proportion of the total export value, black tiger shrimp have shown stable growth in the high-end segment. The export volume of black tiger shrimp was 4,353 tons, an increase of 8% compared to April and 6% compared to the same period in 2024.
Exports of black tiger shrimp to Japan increased by 24%, to the US by 44%, to the EU by 26%, to South Korea by 12%, and to the UK by 20%. Conversely, China and Hong Kong, the two largest markets for Vietnamese black tiger shrimp, saw a slight decrease of 1%.
The average export price of black tiger shrimp increased by 4%, reaching 11.82 USD/kg. However, the production of raw shrimp decreased slightly by 2% to 24,000 tons after a strong increase of 32% in April.
In the US, the import volume of black tiger shrimp from Vietnam reached 600 tons, with prices sharply increasing to 17.10 USD/kg, the highest among all markets. Japan imported 886 tons, with prices rising by 6% to 12.40 USD/kg. The EU recorded its fourth consecutive month of increase, reaching 390 tons in May; however, the price dropped by 6.1% to 10.70 USD/kg. South Korea imported nearly 200 tons, with the average price dropping sharply by 30% to 8.30 USD/kg. China maintained its volume at 1,300 tons, but the price continued to drop by an additional 3.3% to 8.90 USD/kg.
According to the VASEP, Vietnamese black tiger shrimp currently dominate high-end markets such as Japan, the EU, and Switzerland, where there is a preference for ecologically farmed black tiger shrimp from mangrove forests, ensuring traceability and meeting sustainability standards. This is a high-value segment with strong growth potential in the future.
Although the results in May were promising, the outlook for June and the second half of the year remains uncertain. The VASEP forecasts that demand in major markets will increase seasonally during the summer; however, growth may be slowed down by the wait-and-see attitude of importing businesses, especially in the US, due to unclear tariff policies.