The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has informed Vietnam's Directorate of Fisheries on August 26 that imports from the affected fisheries will be banned from January 1, 2026.

 

The ruling targets fishing practices such as gillnetting, purse seining, trawling, and handlining, which are considered high-risk for dolphins, whales, and other marine mammals. According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), the move will hit major export items including tuna, mackerel, lobster, crab, squid, grouper, swordfish, snapper, mullet, billfish, and flounder. VASEP estimates the decision could cost Vietnam's seafood industry around US$500 million annually.

 

Tuna is expected to be hit the hardest, as it is Vietnam's top seafood export to the US, generating US$387 million out of the country's total US$1 billion in tuna exports last year.

 

The decision threatens not only export revenues but also the livelihoods of thousands of fishermen and workers, VASEP warned, adding that Vietnam now faces a double disadvantage compared with competitors like Thailand, India, and Japan, which have been granted full equivalence and thus enjoy unrestricted access to the US market.

 

Vietnam's reliance on imported raw materials for seafood processing—such as tuna from Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan (China), and mainland China—could deepen the impact, as many of these suppliers also face US restrictions.

 

In response, VASEP urged the government to take swift action, including hiring US-based consultants for technical support, drafting strategies to address the import ban, and engaging with NOAA to clarify timelines and negotiate transitional measures. The association also called on exporters and processors to prepare contingency plans to adjust production in line with market shifts.

 

For the long term, VASEP emphasised the need to enhance product quality, diversify export markets, and adopt more sustainable fishing practices to secure equivalence.