Vietnam's Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishery Exports Reach 16.69 Billion Dollars in Q1 2026—Sharp Price Drops in Coffee and Rice, but Fisheries Up 13% Provide Support

According to Q1 (January–March) 2026 agricultural, forestry, and fishery export statistics announced by Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, total exportsreached US$16.69 billion (up 5.9% year on year). It's an achievement amid the headwind of sharply falling international prices for major crops like coffee and rice, and the underlying strength of the fisheries sector in particular is drawing attention.

Overall picture: growth amid coffee and rice price declines dragging results down

As one of the world's leading agricultural exporters, Vietnam exports diverse products—coffee, rice, pepper, cashews, shrimp—worldwide. But entering 2026, international prices for coffee and rice fell sharply. Despite this pressuring the export value of both items, a surge in fisheries and volume increases in other items supported the whole.

You could say the results of the strategy of diversifying agricultural exports are showing in the numbers. It shows that the agricultural policy of spreading the risk of single-item dependence is working in this phase.

Fisheries exports take the lead: $2.62 billion, up 13.3% year on year

The biggest driver of Q1 2026 wasfisheries exports. Total exports wereUS$2.62 billion, achieving 13.3% year-on-year growth.

Especially notable isthe surge in exports to the China / Hong Kong market. Q1 cumulative recorded about $764 million (up 45% year on year), and March alone showed a phenomenal rise of over $250 million (up more than 50% year on year).

Three factors lie behind this:

1. Lunar New Year demand: 2026's Lunar New Year fell in mid-February, and demand for premium seafood within China surged from year-end into the new year
2. Substitute supply of live lobster: Facing import tariffs and supply fluctuations from Canada, China rapidly expanded demand for Vietnamese lobster
3. Expansion of the mid-price to premium segment: Rising consumption of high-quality seafood by China's middle-income class continued

Challenge: exports to the US, Japan, and South Korea down about 10%

There are concerns too. Exports to the US declinedmore than 10% year on yeardue to COA regulations stemming from the MMPA (Marine Mammal Protection Act) and anti-dumping tariffs. Exports to Japan and South Korea also fell about 10%, with weak consumption and the regulatory environment acting as drags.

The EU market is "roughly flat"—stable, but not a growth engine.

Implications for Japan's agriculture and food industries

Vietnam's agricultural export trends are not unrelated to Japan's food OEM and agricultural businesses. Specifically, they're closely related in the following points:

• Impact on raw material prices: For food OEMs using Vietnamese coffee beans, pepper, and cashews as raw materials, price declines may translate into lower procurement costs
• Export opportunities for off-spec and dried vegetables: As Vietnam's technical capability and quality standards improve, moves are emerging to target the Asian market by linking with Japan's processing technology
• From a food-security standpoint: The surge in China-market demand for Vietnamese fisheries could also affect supply to Japan

Outlook: reliance on China rising, but the diversification strategy continues

According to VASEP (Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers), from Q2 onwardChina and Hong Kong will be the largest growth marketand are forecast to keep playing the leading role. Recovery in exports to the US and Japan, meanwhile, is expected to take time.

In response, the Vietnamese government has indicated it will continue to promote multi-market expansion and higher value-addition of agricultural products. Investment in agritech and in building out value chains is also expected to accelerate.

Reference:Vietnamese government official information (English)、Vietnam Investment Review. At agriture.jp, we also provideFood OEM market trends 2026andFOOD Expo 2026 information.

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