(vasep.com.vn) While Vietnam tuna exports to main European consumers showed the reduction, tuna exports from Vietnam to the Netherlands reported three digit growth. Vietnam tuna exports to the market through April 2014 reached nearly US$8.9 million, up 123 percent year on year.
In the period, Vietnam tuna loin exports to the Netherlands saw a year-on-year sharp growth of 396 percent. Whereas, exports of canned tuna and frozen/live/fresh tuna downed 22 percent and 55 percent, respectively.
In the past 2 years, Vietnam tuna sales to the Netherlands recovered after the sharp decrease in 2011. In 2013, total tuna exports by Vietnam to the market reached US$10 million, up 23 percent from that of 2009 and 75 percent against 2011. Thanks to sharp growth in Vietnam tuna exports to the Netherlands through April 2014, the market surpassed Spain to claim the third largest importer of Vietnam tuna among EU block.
According to statistics of International Trade Center (ITC), tuna imports into the Netherlands in the past 5 years increased by 143 percent, putting the market into the list of top 11 largest tuna consuming markets.
Through February 2014, the Netherlands imported tuna from 21 suppliers in the world. Ecuador is the leading supplier of tuna products to the market, making up 41 percent of the market’s total tuna imports. It is followed by Mauritius with 12.5 percent and Thailand with 9.97 percent. Vietnam ranks the 9th behind Philippines among leading tuna suppliers to the Netherlands.
With the advantage of high catch volume, Ecuador’s tuna exports to the Netherlands in the past years reported positive growth. The trend is expected to remain in the coming time. Thanks to Free Trade Agreement between Ecuador and EU, canned tuna exports from Ecuador to EU have stronger competitiveness against other suppliers such as Thailand, Vietnam and Philippines who must pay duty rate of 20.5 percent – 24 percent.
Tuna shipment from Thailand to the Netherlands tends to increase in recent years. Thailand is the third largest supplier of canned tuna to the market after Ecuador and Mauritius.