(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to statistics from Vietnam Customs, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Israel in the first nine months of 2025 reached just over USD 27 million, down as much as 49% compared to the same period in 2024. This is a steep and prolonged decline for many consecutive months, reflecting changes in import demand as well as shifts in the supply structure of this market.
Exports continue to decline sharply
From the beginning of the year to September 2025, Vietnam’s tuna export value to Israel recorded sharp decreases ranging from 29% to 69%. In 2024, Israel was Vietnam’s second-largest single tuna import market and the biggest importer among Middle Eastern markets. However, in 2025, exports to this market have dropped significantly.
Israel shifts its import structure
Israel is diversifying its tuna import sources, increasing purchases from Thailand, Ecuador, and the Philippines—countries that have advantages in terms of price and more stable supply amid rising global transportation costs.
Tuna consumption demand in Israel remains stable, especially for canned products, but buyers are becoming more cautious about price and delivery times. Geopolitical tensions in the region and fluctuations in logistics have led importers to prioritize partners with shorter and more stable supply chains.
Exports to Israel face multiple challenges
One of the main reasons for the sharp decline in Vietnam’s tuna exports to Israel in 2025 is logistics disruptions and rising transportation costs, which reduce the competitiveness of long-distance shipments.
Second, Vietnam’s tuna products face strong price competition from Asia-Pacific countries with large processing capacity such as Thailand and the Philippines.
Third, stricter and in some cases unreasonable requirements for traceability and compliance with regulations on illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing are forcing Vietnamese exporters to invest additional time and compliance costs. Instability in raw material supply and delivery times has also led some Israeli importers to temporarily reduce orders or shift to other suppliers.
Vietnam once surpassed Thailand to become Israel’s largest tuna supplier, showing that recovery opportunities remain if competitiveness is improved. To regain market share, Vietnamese exporters need to optimize logistics costs, enhance deep-processing capacity, ensure traceability, and strengthen long-term relationships with importers. The nearly 50% decline in tuna exports to Israel is a clear warning about the risks of dependence on traditional markets, requiring exporters to proactively diversify markets and adapt to new import trends, where sustainability, transparency, and cost efficiency are increasingly prioritized.