Seafood sales manager: what to add to the hiring brief in 2026
Vietnam's seafood exports rose 11.4% in the first nine months of 2026, led by China, Hong Kong and ASEAN, while US, Japanese and EU sales stayed flat or fell. See what these trade shifts and new import rules, from US…
On this page
- Where Vietnam's seafood exports went in 2026
- The import rules a seafood sales manager now sells through
- US marine mammal rules
- US shrimp anti-dumping duty
- EU traceability
- What we would put in the brief for a seafood sales manager
- 1. Markets beyond one region
- 2. Working knowledge of import rules
- 3. Work with quality and supply chain
- 4. English and trade shows
- Open role right now: Assistant Sales Manager (seafood)
- Hiring a seafood sales manager
- FAQ
A seafood sales manager in Vietnam sold into a different market in 2026. Exports grew by double digits, and the fastest growth among Vietnam's main markets came from China and Hong Kong.
We are recruitment consultants, and we are searching for this profile now. If you run a seafood or frozen food exporter, the figures below affect who you hire to sell.
Where Vietnam's seafood exports went in 2026
Vietnam exported US$9.103 billion of seafood in the first nine months of 2026, up 11.4% on the same period of 2025, according to VASEP figures reported by VnEconomy.
China and Hong Kong bought US$2.3 billion of that, up 33%. That is about a quarter of the total, the same VASEP figures show.
For comparison, China and Hong Kong took US$2.45 billion in all of 2025, VASEP's year-end figures show.
Source: VASEP figures published by Tin nhanh chứng khoán, 2 October 2026. First nine months of 2026 versus the same period of 2025.
The older core markets were flat or lower. VASEP data published by Tin nhanh chứng khoán put the United States at US$1.43 billion (up 0.9%), Japan at US$1.25 billion (up 0.8%) and the EU at US$843 million (down 3%).
ASEAN grew 21% to US$620 million in the same nine months, by the same VASEP data.
VASEP expects a slower fourth quarter and about US$12 billion for the full year. The 2025 total was more than US$11.34 billion, the first year above US$11 billion, VASEP said in January.
A sales team whose accounts sit mostly in the US, Japan and the EU spent 2026 in the slowest part of the market.
The import rules a seafood sales manager now sells through
US marine mammal rules
From 1 January 2026 the US stopped imports from 12 Vietnamese fisheries under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, Tuoi Tre News reported. VASEP put the cost at about US$500 million a year, according to the same report.
Some products from approved fisheries need a Certificate of Admissibility (COA) to enter the US, the report adds.
In January 2026 Vietnam's seafood exports to the US fell 9.9% to just over US$96 million. VASEP said COA problems had stalled confirmations, according to a Saigon Economic Times article carried by VCCI's WTO Center.
The list can change. Vietnam's swimming crab fishery was among those denied, and Vietnam later split it into four. In May 2026 the US fisheries agency found all four comparable to US standards through 31 December 2029, and left its other findings for Vietnam in place.
US shrimp anti-dumping duty
The duty on Vietnamese shrimp depends on the exporter. In the preliminary result of the 20th review, two mandatory respondents received 6.76% and 10.76%, and 27 companies received 7.56%, SGGP reported, citing Vietnam's Trade Remedies Authority.
Another 132 companies without a separate rate faced the nationwide rate of 25.76%, the same report says. The final result is expected around November 2026.
EU traceability
As of August 2026 Vietnam was still working to have the EU "yellow card" on illegal fishing lifted. Decision 1516, signed on 10 August 2026, sets that goal for 2026 and bars catch certificates for vessels whose electronic catch data is missing.
Each of these rules puts a document question ahead of the price discussion. The salesperson needs those answers first.
What we would put in the brief for a seafood sales manager
The four points below come from the trade figures above and from the requirements of a role we are filling now.
1. Markets beyond one region
Ask which countries the candidate has opened or held accounts in, and whether any are in China, Hong Kong or ASEAN, where 2026 growth was strongest among the main markets. A book of business in a single market is a risk when that market stops growing.
2. Working knowledge of import rules
The role we are filling lists compliance with industry regulations among the duties. We would ask a candidate to describe one quote or contract that a duty rate, a COA or a traceability request changed.
3. Work with quality and supply chain
The role coordinates with Operations, Supply Chain, Quality and Customer Service. Traceability answers come from those teams, so ask how the candidate got them in time for a buyer.
4. English and trade shows
The role requires fluent English and travel to expos and trade shows. Ask which shows the candidate has worked and what business came from them.
Open role right now: Assistant Sales Manager (seafood)
Headhunt Vietnam is searching for an Assistant Sales Manager for a confidential client in seafood processing and frozen food. The role is based in Ho Chi Minh City, and the search runs through our Executive Search service, as the posting states.
- Reports to: Head of Sales and Operations.
- Experience: at least 3 years of sales in the seafood industry, with a background in seafood processing, import/export or food manufacturing.
- Skills: key account management, business development, fluent English.
- Travel: expos and trade shows.
- Salary: negotiable.
Hiring a seafood sales manager
Our Executive Search service covers C-suite, director and critical management roles. The first shortlist usually arrives within 2 to 4 weeks after we agree the brief, depending on the role.
If you work in seafood sales and the open role is not a match, you can Submit your CV to our talent database.
FAQ
What should a seafood sales manager in Vietnam know in 2026?
Four things: more than one export market, the import rules of those markets, how to get traceability answers from quality and supply chain teams, and English for buyers and trade shows.
Which of Vietnam's main seafood markets grew fastest in 2026?
China and Hong Kong, among the main markets VASEP reports. VASEP figures show US$2.3 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 33% on the same period of 2025.
What US anti-dumping duty do Vietnamese shrimp exporters face?
It depends on the company. In the preliminary result of the 20th review, announced in May 2026, rates ranged from 6.76% to 25.76%, according to Vietnam's Trade Remedies Authority. The final result is expected around November 2026.
