Guides / Pricing
Vietnam shrimp price in 2026: what moves an FOB quote, from farm-gate size prices to glaze
November 4, 2026
The price of Vietnam shrimp in 2026 cannot be quoted as one number, because no public source publishes an FOB price series for Vietnam frozen shrimp. What you can read is the farm-gate price, which sets the floor of a quote, and the export data, which shows where demand is moving. This guide gives the public numbers, explains what a plant adds between the pond and the FOB price and ends with a short list for comparing offers.
What the public numbers say
The most recent farm-gate figures I found come from a trade report dated 29 June 2026 that quotes a farmer in Dong Thap, in the Mekong Delta:
| Size | Farm-gate price, June 2026 |
|---|---|
| 25 pieces per kg | about US$5.02 per kg |
| 30 pieces per kg | US$4.63 to 4.71 per kg |
| 40 pieces per kg | about US$3.53 per kg, down from above US$3.93 three months earlier |
Two readings follow. First, size drives the price: the 25-count shrimp costs about 42 percent more per kilogram than the 40-count at the farm. Our guide to Vietnam shrimp size grades and how they set your price explains why a count must be written on deglazed weight. Second, the trend inside a season is real: the 40-count price fell about 10 percent or more in three months, which the report ties to peak harvest volume and lower purchasing by export processors.
This is one farmer in one province, reported by trade press. Treat it as directional. It is raw material, before peeling, glaze, packing and margin, and the report gives no processing cost.
Why the farm price is not the whole story
A VASEP report of 18 April 2026 on the Mekong season notes that farm-gate prices had fallen compared with late 2025 while feed and seed costs were rising, and that EHP disease had started to appear. The June report adds the cost side: an official at Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Environment expected aquatic feed prices to rise 7 to 10 percent, overall shrimp farming costs to rise a further 5 to 10 percent, and chemicals, biological products and broodstock to rise 10 to 15 percent. Higher fuel prices were given as a cause. Lower sale prices and higher costs squeeze the farmer, which can mean less stocking and tighter supply later in the cycle. That is an inference, not a forecast from the reports.
What sits between the farm and the FOB price
| Driver | What it does to the quote | Where to read more |
|---|---|---|
| Size count | The largest single lever, set per grade | Size grades and pricing |
| Processing form | HOSO, HLSO, PD, PDTO and value-add each lose weight in processing | Processing forms |
| Glaze and net weight | A higher glaze means more of each kilo you pay for is ice, so compare per kilo of deglazed shrimp | Glaze, net weight and yield |
| Soak or additive | Adds water weight that you pay for | Soaking and STPP |
| Pack and carton | Bag size, master carton, private label and printing | Private label packs |
| Certification and traceability | Farm lots and audits that a market requires | Certifications by market |
| Incoterm and port | FOB excludes ocean freight and insurance | Payment terms and timeline |
| Duty at destination | Lands after FOB, so it is not in the quote | Tariffs |
No public source publishes a processor’s conversion cost per kilogram, and the yield from raw to finished shrimp varies by plant, size and form. Ask each plant for its own yield figure on your size and form, as our processing forms guide explains, and calculate the cost per kilogram of net shrimp yourself.
Demand context: who is buying in 2026
Vietnam’s customs data, cited by VASEP and reported on 25 September 2026, put shrimp exports at about US$3.3 billion in the first eight months, up 12 percent year on year. China and Hong Kong took nearly US$1.12 billion, up 35.9 percent and 34.1 percent of the total. Japan took US$388.5 million, up 6.1 percent. The United States took US$436.1 million, down 11.7 percent, and the EU US$355.3 million, down 3.6 percent. A July report on the half-year data put US exports at about US$290 million, down 15 percent, and noted that June’s rebound reflected deliveries pulled forward ahead of possible US tariff changes, not a recovery in underlying demand.
What this means for a buyer is an interpretation, not a data point: plants have another large buyer pulling on raw material and capacity, and the US and EU buyers are not the growth market this year. Do not assume a price discount from that. Use it to ask direct questions about capacity, lead time and which sizes the plant is already booked on.
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Freight and duty sit outside FOB
An FOB price excludes ocean freight, insurance, duty and brokerage. The July 2026 report names volatile trans-Pacific freight rates, shortages of refrigerated containers, shipping delays and higher cold-chain costs as challenges for exporters. Duty can dwarf small differences between quotes: in the US data for farmed, peeled, frozen warmwater shrimp, the average calculated duty rate rose from 0.8 percent in April 2025 to 28.4 percent in December 2025, with a 2025 average of 12.95 percent or US$1.10 per kg, according to a Mississippi State University extension analysis of NOAA data. That is a category average, not a Vietnam rate. Vietnam’s rate depends on the exporter, as our tariff guide shows. Compare landed cost, not FOB alone.
How to compare two quotes
- Same size count, on deglazed weight.
- Same processing form and tail or vein detail.
- Same glaze percent on net weight and the same additive statement.
- Same pack, same carton weight and the same label.
- Same Incoterm and port, and the same payment terms.
- Same validity: raw shrimp moves, so a quote with a 3-day validity and one with 30 days are not equal.
- Convert each to a cost per kilogram of net shrimp, then add freight and duty for landed cost.
For the whole chain from farm-gate to landed cost, read our guide to the Vietnam shrimp export price.
Next step
Send the seven lines in your first message, not after the first quote. Use the request form and we match you with up to 3 Vietnam processors. They reply within 24 business hours, and quotes on one spec are easy to compare.
See also: the vannamei shrimp reference: biology, counts and forms.
Sources
- FoodBusiness Middle East, Vietnam shrimp farmers grapple with rising production costs as farmgate prices tumble, 29 June 2026 (trade press, directional)
- VASEP, 2026 shrimp season in the Mekong Delta starts early, 18 April 2026
- VietnamPlus, shrimp exports reach 3.3 billion USD in eight months, 25 September 2026
- Viet Nam News, Vietnamese shrimp exports to China offset weaker sales to US, 29 July 2026
- Mississippi State University Extension, price impacts of tariffs on US imports of farmed, peeled and frozen warmwater shrimp, 23 April 2026
Frequently asked questions
What is the price of Vietnam shrimp in 2026?
No public source publishes an FOB price series for Vietnam frozen shrimp, so any single number would be a guess. What is public is the farm-gate price. In late June 2026 farmers in the Mekong Delta reported about US$5.02 per kg for 25 pieces per kg, US$4.63 to 4.71 for 30 and about US$3.53 for 40. FOB adds processing, glaze, packing and margin.
Why do Vietnam shrimp quotes change from week to week?
Raw shrimp is the main input and its price moves with harvest volume, size and what processors are buying. A June 2026 trade report says the 40-count price fell from above US$3.93 to about US$3.53 over three months at the peak of harvest. Short quote validity is how plants protect themselves from that movement.
Is an FOB price the final price I pay?
No. FOB covers delivery on board at the Vietnam port. Ocean freight, insurance, import duty, anti-dumping deposits, customs brokerage and inland delivery come on top. In the US data for farmed, peeled, frozen warmwater shrimp, the average calculated duty rate rose from 0.8 percent in April 2025 to 28.4 percent in December 2025.
How do I compare two Vietnam shrimp quotes?
Put both on the same spec first: size count on deglazed weight, processing form, glaze percent, additive treatment, pack, Incoterm, port, payment terms and quote validity. A lower price with a higher glaze or a soak is not lower. Convert both to a cost per kilogram of net shrimp before you compare.
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