For many years, the Vietnamese seafood industry has been known as one of the crucial export pillars of the economy. Products such as shrimp, pangasius, tuna, squid, octopus, and multiple other seafood items have been present in hundreds of markets around the world. However, behind the impressive export figures lies a major challenge: a non-small portion of Vietnamese seafood's value still originates from exporting pre-processed raw materials, relying on processing contracts, possessing low profit margins, and being vulnerable to global price fluctuations.

In a context of increasingly fierce competition and growing requirements from the international market, the Vietnamese seafood industry is standing before an important turning point: escaping from the low-priced raw export trap, switching to developing deeply processed seafood products and value-added products, and brand building. This constitutes not merely an alteration in products, but a transformation in business mindsets, technological capacities, and long-term development strategies of enterprises.

From exporting raw materials to the value-added equation

Previously, many Vietnamese seafood enterprises concentrated on pre-processed products such as frozen fillets, frozen shrimp, whole fish, pre-processed squid, or raw materials supplying factories, importers, and international distribution systems. This model helped enterprises rapidly participate in global supply chains, utilizing the advantages of raw material sources and competitive labor costs.

However, the limitation of this model is low added value. When products have not been deeply processed, do not possess their own brands, and have not been clearly positioned in the minds of consumers, enterprises usually have to compete primarily on price. This causes profit margins to contract, particularly when raw material, logistics, labor, energy costs, and compliance standards increase day by day.

Not only that, raw exporting also makes enterprises easily dependent on importers, intermediate distributors, and demand fluctuations from a number of large markets. When markets alter import policies, apply new technical barriers, or reduce purchasing power, enterprises manufacturing pre-processed raw materials usually bear direct and rapid impacts. Precisely because of this, shifting toward deep seafood processing is no longer a choice of an experimental nature, but has become a strategic requirement to elevate the competitive edge of the entire industry.

Deep processing: The path to raising product value by 2–3 times

One of the important directions of Vietnamese seafood exports currently is developing deeply processed, convenient product lines that match modern consumption trends. Instead of merely exporting frozen raw materials, enterprises begin to invest in products such as:

• Breaded shrimp, tempura shrimp, sushi shrimp.
• Pangasius steaks, marinated pangasius, ready-to-grill pangasius.
• Conveniently packed tuna.
• Ready-to-eat seafood, pre-processed frozen food.
• Seafood products dedicated to retail systems, restaurants, hotels, and e-commerce.

These products can help selling values increase significantly compared to pre-processed raw materials. In multiple cases, when processed, packed, built with brand stories, and distributed through the right channels, product value can increase by 2–3 times compared to the raw export form.

This is precisely the difference between selling a piece of frozen fish fillet and selling a complete food product possessing packaging, brands, processing formulas, quality standards, sustainability certifications, and the capacity to go straight into the kitchens of global consumers.

This transformation also helps enterprises progressively reduce reliance on low-priced competition, while concurrently increasing capacities to approach higher-end market segments such as modern retail, restaurant chains, hotels, international supermarkets, and online consumption platforms.

New mindsets of Vietnamese seafood enterprises

The transformation step of the seafood industry lies not only in machinery lines, but first of all lies in the strategic mindsets of enterprises. Instead of merely asking “how to sell more output volume,” multiple enterprises have begun to pose the question: how to sell higher value?

From there, Vietnamese seafood enterprises are concentrating on multiple new development directions:

First, investing in modern seafood processing technology aiming to elevate product quality, extend preservation times, guarantee food safety, and standardize products according to the requirements of each market.

Second, developing product research teams to generate convenient food lines matching the taste palates and consumption trends of each region such as Japan, South Korea, Europe, the US, and the domestic market.

Third, focusing on building Vietnamese seafood brands, from packaging, origin stories, and quality standards to sustainable development commitments. In an era of responsible consumption, a brand is not merely a logo, but trust regarding quality, traceability, and environmental responsibility.

Fourth, strengthening digital transformation, automation, and supply chain control aiming to optimize costs, reduce errors, elevate productivity, and satisfy increasingly strict requirements from international partners.

Vietfish 2026: The place to witness the transformation step of the Vietnamese seafood industry

In that transformation picture, Vietfish 2026 – the Vietnam International Seafood Exhibition taking place from August 19 – 21, 2026, at SECC, Ho Chi Minh City is expected to serve as one of the most important rendezvous points of the industry.

Not merely a trade fair, the Vietfish 2026 exhibition is a place clearly reflecting the new capacities of Vietnamese seafood: from deep processing and value-added products to automation technology, cold logistics, traceability, modern packaging, and quality governance.

Here, enterprises can introduce new product lines, demonstrate manufacturing capacities under international standards, and connect with buyers, distribution systems, importers, and technology partners. This is also the space for the Vietnamese seafood industry to prove that Vietnam is not merely a nation supplying raw materials, but a manufacturing hub for high-quality, value-added seafood products possessing capacities to compete in the global market.

The exhibition is also a place connecting enterprises with international distributors, large retailers, and global supply chains — the key factor to position brands and expand export markets for deeply processed products.

From increasing output volume to increasing value

In the new phase, the success of the Vietnamese seafood industry will be measured not only by export output volumes, but by added value, profit margins, brand capacities, and positions in international supply chains.

Escaping from the “low-priced raw export” trap is a long journey, demanding that enterprises invest in technology, people, product research, quality standards, and market strategies. But this is the mandatory path if Vietnamese seafood wants to develop sustainably, raise national value, and reduce reliance on short-term market fluctuations.

Source: VASEP