It is difficult for pangasius to 'swim' to the US

Pangasius exports to the US decreased by 10% of total turnover in the first half of 2026, expected to continue to be difficult in the second half. year.

In June 2026 alone, pangasius reached an export turnover of 205 million USD, an increase of 5% over the same period. Cumulatively in the first 6 months of the year, pangasius exports reached 1.1 billion USD, an increase of 12% over the same period, according to a report by the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP). Nam. In the first half of 2026, pangasius exports to China reached approximately 300 million USD, an increase of 35% over the same period.

However, contrary to developments in the Chinese market, another main market for pangasius, the US, still faces many challenges. In the first 6 months of 2026, pangasius exports to the US reached 167 million USD, down 5% over the same period and accounting for only 15% of the total export value.

Notably, pangasius exports to the US began to witness a recovery from the period of March and April 2026, but continued continue to decline rapidly in May and June 2026. This shows that the pressures in the market with the world's largest economy are continuing to escalate, putting pressure on the pangasius industry in particular and seafood in general.

Pressure in the US market is also reflected in the financial statements of the group of businesses exporting pangasius to this market. For example, Vinh Hoan Joint Stock Company recorded a 14% decrease in revenue in June 2026 compared to the previous month, of which revenue in the US decreased by 8%. but profit after tax decreased by 29% to more than 330 billion VND.

Be careful in the second half of the year

Recently, the US Trade Representative announced the results of a targeted investigation 301 under the Trade Act of 1974 with 60 economies. With this result, in addition to a number of exempt products, Vietnamese goods exported to the US will be subject to an additional tax of 12.5%.

VASEP said that Vietnam's main seafood products, including pangasius, are not on the exemption list. Thus, tariff barriers continue to put pressure on pangasius on the way to export to the US. Thereby, the revenue and profit of the business are both affected.

In parallel with tariffs, consumer demand in the US recovers slowly in the context of consumers tightening spending, which also significantly impacts pangasius exports. In addition, rising logistics costs also put pressure on export businesses, as transportation to the US requires the use of long-distance shipping services. 2026.

However, with difficulties in the main market, the US, this goal will be significantly affected by the maintenance of export pace to China as well as the ability of businesses to expand their market to the Middle East and Latin America. Tinh.

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Source: TheLeader — theleader.vn. The article is reposted for the purpose of sharing knowledge for the founder and investor community in the ecosystem HCM VIF.