Japan boosted imports of Vietnamese tuna

According to statistics of Vietnam Customs, Vietnam’s tuna exports to this market in QII/2018 valued at US$7.7 million, up 36% compared with QII/2017; the figure in the first 6 half of the year was estimated at nearly US$14 million, up 32% over the same period in 2017.

Frozen tuna loins/fillets are the main export items of Vietnam to Japan in the first half of 2018, accounting for 50% of the total value of tuna exports to this market. Compared with the same period of 2017, exports of frozen tuna loins/fillets and other processed tuna of Vietnam to Japan registered a rise. Meanwhile, exports of canned tuna and other live/fresh/frozen tuna declined.

Meanwhile, according to statistics from the International Trade Center (ITC), in the first 5 months of this year, Japan's tuna imports hit only 117 thousand MT, worth by US$956 million, down 5% in volume but up 9.5% in value.

Imports of live/fresh/chilled tuna into Japan continued to decline, while those of frozen and processed/canned tuna increased over the same period in 2017. Although frozen tuna imports increased, this mainly included skipjack loins/fillets and frozen albacore for reproducing sushi and canned tuna.

In addition, tuna sashimi has become a seasonal option for Japanese consumers. Demand for tuna sashimi during the spring festival season increased, which pushed Japan's frozen tuna imports up during the first months of the year.

Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and China were the top 5 leading suppliers of canned tuna to the Japanese market in the first 5 months of this year. Imports from Vietnam occupied 3%.

The average import price of processed/canned tuna into Japan this year was higher than last year. Last year, the average price ranged from US$5.15 to US$5.4 / kg, this year it fluctuated from US$5.59 to US$6 per kg.

Besides, Vietnam currently ranked 14th out of 28 countries exporting frozen tuna loins/fillets to the Japanese market.