South Australian tuna sales to both China and Korea have risen from just 10 tons in 2012, to as much as 156 tons last year.
This year it is expected that this will rocket again, with up to 500 tons of fresh chilled bluefin being shipped from Port Lincoln’s tuna farms, before rising to 1,000 tons in 2015.
Port Lincoln tuna baron, Hagen Stehr, said that the rising sale of tuna to China and South Korea would likely lead to a buy-up of Port Lincoln tuna companies by Chinese seafood operators to help secure their future seafood supplies.
He said: “They have to because they are eating a lot more tuna in China, but it is getting harder and harder to find supplies around the world. Quite a few people are closely scrutinizing the Port Lincoln tuna farms as they consider buying into the industry.”
Stehr said that he believed fragility of some tuna businesses, along with changing business needs and regulations imposed by the Australian Fisheries Management Authority in Canberra, would mean that several companies would sell out to Chinese buyers.
Just last month, Australia’s largest fishing company, Austral Fisheries sold 50 percent of its firm to Japanese company, Maruha Nichiro Holdings. Chinese seafood investors have also bought a 25 percent stake in Tassal Group, Australia’s largest seafood company. The Chinese government is providing investment funds for its industries to buy seafood assets abroad.
Stehr added: “Consumption of tuna will increase rapidly in China and I know of Japanese companies pushing increasingly into China to sell tuna. It is inevitable that more people will come to Australia to secure their food and one is China with its 1.3 billion people.”
He stressed that Australia needs to improve its strategy for the agribusiness sector and food industry. “New Zealand is a small country with only four million people, but it is far ahead of Australia in marketing to China and Japan and they are a lot more switched on in selling their produce,” he said.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Although Germany’s tuna imports have declined, Vietnam’s tuna exports to the market continue to show positive signs. Notably, export value recovered strongly in Q3/2026, and German import data also show Vietnamese products strengthening their position amid competition among suppliers.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood exports are holding double-digit growth, but the opportunities are not spread evenly across product groups and markets. As businesses draw up their plans for 2027, Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS2026) offers a chance to look ahead together: what to sell, where to sell it, and how to prepare for growth in the coming years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) With less than two weeks to go, the Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026) will officially take place in Can Tho. Under the theme “Seafood Market Outlook 2027–2029 – Opportunities and Potential for Double-Digit Export Growth,” the Summit is organized by VASEP at a time when seafood businesses are facing rapid market shifts, changing buyer demand, trade policy changes and growing competitive pressure all at once.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On October 28, 2026, the China Fisheries & Seafood Expo opened in Qingdao, China. The expo takes place over three days from October 28 to 30, 2026. This is a prestigious specialized seafood exhibition organized annually by Sea Fare Exposition Inc.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first nine months of 2026, Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the CPTPP bloc reached $7 million, marking a 51% year-on-year increase. The bloc rstands as the fourth-largest market for Vietnamese tilapia, trailing Brazil, the US, and Saudi Arabia.
(vasep.com.vn) VASEP has officially announced the program for Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026), featuring five in-depth sessions covering industry outlooks, trade barriers, buyer demand, the domestic market, and solutions to improve productivity and reduce costs across the seafood value chain.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached US$3.7 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 11% year on year. Although growth has been supported by China and several markets within the CPTPP, momentum is slowing as exports to the United States and the European Union decline. Tariff pressures, international competition, and raw material challenges are creating significant hurdles for exporters in the final months of the year.
(vasep.com.vn) Markets are changing faster, buyer requirements are becoming more demanding, and trade barriers are growing increasingly complex. In this environment, seafood businesses need more than an understanding of current market conditions. They need a longer-term perspective to answer a critical question: Where will growth opportunities come from in 2027–2029, and what should businesses do now to prepare? This is one of the key reasons why VASEP is organizing Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East reached US$113 million, up 7% year on year from the same period in 2025. Growth has become more pronounced in recent months. In August alone, exports to the region totaled US$20 million, an increase of 24%. This indicates that demand for Vietnamese pangasius in the Middle East is gradually recovering after a slowdown in March, although the pace of recovery varies across markets.
(vasep.com.vn) China’s shrimp imports continued to grow strongly in 2026, while Vietnam’s shrimp exports to the market also recorded notable growth. However, behind these positive figures lie two distinct trends: Chinese consumption is growing more slowly than imports, and lobster accounts for a substantial share of Vietnam’s shrimp exports to China, making its product mix significantly different from those of Ecuador and India. Exporters therefore need to assess each segment carefully to understand the opportunities and risks.
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