From SeafoodMedia, the US has been Vietnam's largest seafood export market, with annual exports to the US ranging from US$1.5-2.1 billion over the past five years.

Despite strict regulatory challenges, including anti-dumping and countervailing duties, Vietnamese seafood has maintained a strong market position in the US market due to growing demand and improving product quality.

The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) emphasized that as trade issues between the US and China deepen, the US will reduce seafood imports from China possibly creating opportunities for other suppliers such as Vietnam.

Shrimp and balsa fish are Vietnam's main seafood exports to the US, and tariffs on Chinese seafood could create new market opportunities for Vietnamese suppliers to potentially replace Chinese supplies, thus increasing export volumes to the US.

In order to fully seize these opportunities, Vietnamese seafood businesses must focus on maintaining high quality standards, improving deep processing capabilities, and taking advantage of free trade agreements to expand their market reach and competitiveness, VASEP noted.

With Trump in office, the US government is likely to tighten food safety and quality standards, which could entail significant compliance costs and complicate market entry for Vietnamese exporters, and protectionist measures and tariff barriers could intensify competition between Vietnam and other major seafood exporters such as India, Ecuador and Indonesia.