Vietnam's seafood export turnover to Japan continues to maintain a stable growth trend. In the context of Japan increasingly prioritizing products that meet green, safe, and sustainable standards, headroom for Vietnamese seafood in this market remains substantial.

According to consolidated data from the Customs Department, Vietnam's seafood exports to the Japanese market in June 2026 reached 163.4 million USD, up 18.7% compared to May 2026 and up 9% compared to the same period in 2025. June turnover was also approximately 23.1 million USD higher than the monthly average of 2025.

Cumulatively for the first 6 months of 2026, Vietnam's seafood export turnover to Japan reached 800 million USD, equivalent to 47.6% of the total export turnover for the entire year of 2025. Japan accounts for 14.9% of Vietnam's total seafood export turnover.

Within the seafood group exported to Japan, shrimp continued to lead with a turnover of 54.8 million USD as of the end of June 2026, up 29.6% compared to the previous month and up 2.6% compared to the same period in 2025. Squid and octopus exports reached 18.1 million USD, up 24.7% compared to May and surging 28.9% compared to June 2025. Meanwhile, salmon export turnover reached 15.6 million USD, up 23.3% compared to the previous month but down 9.4% compared to the same period last year.

However, regarding structure, compared to June 2025, the proportion of shrimp decreased from 36.3% to 33.6%, while the other seafood group increased from 32.8% to 37.5%.

Along with rising demand, Japan is also imposing increasingly stringent requirements on imported goods, particularly concerning product quality, food safety, origin traceability, and supply stability. Notably, criteria related to environmental protection, climate change adaptation, and sustainable development are increasingly becoming crucial factors in the product selection decisions of the Japanese market.

For the seafood sector, this trend is all the more significant as enterprises must concurrently meet requirements regarding quality, residue control, origin traceability, supply chain management, and environmental standards throughout the production process.

To capitalize well on these opportunities, alongside investing in raw material areas, enterprises need to improve logistics systems, cold chains, administrative procedures, and intellectual property protection to better satisfy the requirements of Japanese importers. Concurrently, ensuring green standards will serve as one of the key factors helping Vietnamese seafood enhance its competitive strength and expand market share in this destination.

Source: Tap chi Thuy san Viet Nam