Implementation of sustainable practices in supply chain management and performance of seafood exporting companies: empirical evidence from Vietnam

This study investigates the financial performance impacts of sustainability certification adoption among seafood exporting enterprises in Vietnam. Analyzing survey data from 324 processing exporters through Generalized Linear Models (GLM), the research identifies a statistically significant inverted U-shaped relationship between active certification count and enterprise export revenue (p<0.05). An optimal threshold emerges at approximately 3.80 active certifications. Initial certification adoption drives positive marginal revenue gains by overcoming technical trade barriers and securing high-value market access. However, exceeding this optimal threshold induces absolute revenue erosion because cumulative auditing fees, smallholder supply chain monitoring expenses, and administrative overheads outpace incremental price premiums in foreign destination markets. These empirical findings refine resource-based and transaction cost perspectives, demonstrating that sustainability assets yield diminishing economic returns when compliance burdens exceed firm operational capacity. Exporters must strategically prioritize core market-mandated certifications rather than indiscriminately accumulating voluntary standards.