According to the statistics of Vietnam Customs, EU is the second largest tuna importer of Vietnam in the past 10 years. Since 2015, after Vietnam and EU officially ended negotiations and the agreement was released on 1/2/2016, Vietnam's tuna exports to the EU increased continuously.
Currently Vietnam mainly exports frozen loin/fillet tuna and canned tuna to the EU market in the past 10 years. Before 2014, Vietnam's frozen tuna loin/filet tuna exports to the EU growed continously. However, it tended to fall continuously for 2 years and climbed again in 2017. For canned tuna products, it tended to rose continuously in the period before 2014, but then also went down continuously.
Germany, Italy and Spain were the three largest tuna importers of Vietnam in the EU. Germany imported a lot of canned processed tuna products, while Italy and Spain mainly imported fresh and frozen tuna products.
Vietnam's tuna products mainly compete with similar products from Ecuador, Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and China. Vietnam is difficult to compete with other countries due to the catches, the scale and capacity of tuna production of these countries are higher than ours. In addition, it is difficult for Vietnam to compete with the Philippines and Ecuador because they enjoy preferential tariffs, while Vietnam is not entitled to incentives. Vietnam's seafood industry has been considered a "mature" threshold, i.e, a group of commodities with a relatively high export value to the EU in recent years. Therefore, from January 1, 2014, Vietnam have not enjoyed the offer anymore. Vietnamese tuna products are subject to a higher tax rate of 20.5%. This has reduced the competitiveness of Vietnamese tuna products in the EU market.
Under the EVFTA commitment, the EU shall remove tariffs on fresh and frozen tuna products (except for frozen tuna loin/fillet HS code 0304) as soon as the agreement comes into effect. For products of frozen tuna loin/fillet tuna HS code 030487, the EU shall eliminate tariffs for Vietnam under a 3-year schedule, from the basic tax rate of 18%, as soon as the agreement comes into effect. With the products of steamed tuna loin/fillet (raw material for canned tuna production), the EU shall abolish tariffs for Vietnam according to the 7-year schedule, from the basic tax rate of 24%. Particularly for canned tuna products (such as canned tuna in oil, in pouch, products of canned tuna family...), the EU shall exempt for these Vietnam products with the quota of 11,500 MT/year.
Thus, when EVFTA takes effect, it will be an advantage for Vietnamese tuna exporters in the long run. However, in the short term, businesses shall face many difficulties. Because this FTA includes a comprehensive chapter on trade and sustainable development, covering relevant labor and environmental issues in trade relations between the EU and Vietnam.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The Quang Tri Department of Agriculture and Environment has instructed localities to base their stocking schedules on actual conditions in each farming area, while developing plans, allocating resources, and implementing synchronized measures for disease prevention and disaster risk management in aquaculture production.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first two months of 2026, Vietnam’s exports of fish cakes and surimi exceeded USD 45 million, up 7% compared to the same period in 2025, indicating a positive outlook for this product segment amid recovering demand in many markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) During the week from April 4th to 10th, 2026, Quang Ngai province intensified its monitoring and law enforcement activities with the determination to eliminate illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing practices.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Thanh Hoa’s shrimp sector is undergoing a strong transformation by accelerating the adoption of high technology, helping to improve productivity, increase profits, and meet market demands. The province currently has about 4,100 hectares of shrimp farming, with output continuing to rise despite stable farming area, mainly due to the shift from traditional methods to intensive and super-intensive farming.
(vasep.com.vn) Amid ongoing volatility in global seafood trade, Vietnam’s crab exports have made a fairly positive start to 2026. According to Vietnam Customs statistics, export turnover in the first two months of 2026 reached nearly USD 55 million, up 24% compared to the same period in 2025 and more than 2.2 times higher than in the same period of 2024. This indicates that crab exports are entering 2026 with stronger growth momentum, particularly in Asian markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Da Nang City has fully implemented all recommendations from the European Commission (EC) regarding the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, creating an important foundation for the removal of the “yellow card” in the near future.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In Hoa Vang district (Da Nang City), red tilapia farming is demonstrating clear economic efficiency, becoming a promising livelihood that helps many households increase their income. A notable example is the model of Mr. Huynh Ngoc Nam, who operates two red tilapia ponds covering more than 4 hectares, generating stable annual income.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In Gia Vien district, tilapia farming—particularly the “duong nghiep” strain—is expanding rapidly and gradually becoming an efficient production model for local farmers. Hatcheries in the area are supplying high-quality, uniform, and disease-free fingerlings, meeting the growing demand for commercial farming.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On the afternoon of March 19, Vice Chairman of the Ca Mau Provincial People’s Committee, Le Van Su, chaired a meeting to address bottlenecks and propose solutions to expand the super-intensive whiteleg shrimp farming model using low water exchange and high biosecurity standards (RAS-IMTA).
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On March 10, 2026, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee issued Decision No. 1377/QD-UBND approving the Aquatic Animal Disease Prevention and Control Plan for the 2026–2030 period. The decision takes effect from the date of signing and replaces previous plans for the 2021–2030 period that had been issued prior to the administrative merger in Ba Ria – Vung Tau, Binh Duong, and Ho Chi Minh City.
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