According to statistics of the Vietnam Customs, in April 2020, Vietnam's tuna exports to the US market still declined by 36% compared to the same period in 2019. At the US market, although being impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, the demand for canned tuna in this market has increased. This has caused Vietnam's canned tuna exports to the US after a long period of continuous decline, showing signs of growth, up 2% over the same period in 2019. According to the statistics of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Vietnam's canned tuna products exported to the US are on the upward trend compared to the same period in 2019 and have the second-highest average price among the 10 suppliers of canned tuna for this market.
Similarly, Vietnam's tuna exports to the EU continued to decline in April. Therefore, the total value of Vietnam's tuna exports to this market in the first four months of 2020 still fell by 18% compared to the same period in 2019, reaching nearly 82 million USD. However, it is worth noting that in April, Vietnam's tuna exports to the two largest tuna importers of Vietnam in the EU bloc, Germany, and Italy, increased. And like the US and other countries, the demand for canned tuna in EU countries spiked. The outbreak of disease is causing tuna manufacturing plants of EU countries such as Spain, Italy ... to stall. Furthermore, increasing demand has led the EU to increase imports of canned tuna from outside. Currently, Vietnam's canned tuna exports to the EU also tend to increase over the same period in 2019, up 2.7%.
Meanwhile, tuna exports to ASEAN, after declining in March, have grown again. Vietnam's tuna exports to this market in April rose by 4% over the same period in 2019. Notably, tuna exports to the largest importer in the bloc, Thailand, lifted by 61%.
Exports to some other major importers, such as Japan and Egypt, continued to increase. By the end of April 2020, Vietnam's tuna exports to Japan jumped by 36% and that to Egypt elevated by 59%. Although the situation of COVID-19 is causing the tuna market to wobble, Vietnam's tuna export to these importers is still very positive. Japan is strongly increasing imports of many other processed tuna products of Vietnam, especially frozen steamed tuna meat, up 111% over the same period in 2019. Meanwhile, Egypt is increasing imports of canned tuna from Vietnam.
Currently, the supply of tuna materials in the region has stabilized. At the end of April, transshipment at sea was approved by the countries participating in the Nauru Agreement (PNA) and The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) for regional shipping and fishing vessels at the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) aims to keep the supply of raw materials to regional markets so material difficulties are expected to improve. However, despite the negative impact of the global COVID-19 crisis, the price of raw tuna is still higher than that of the previous year and higher than other regions so it will reduce its competitiveness, making it difficult for businesses.
In the immediate future, with the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic in major importers is still progressing worse, this is expected to make the world tuna market continue to fluctuate. The demand for canned tuna in markets will continue to increase. Due to the impact of the epidemic, the income of people also affected, the trend of finding cheap alternatives such as canned tuna products and pouch tuna will be more popular. This will impact tuna import trends in markets in the coming months. Therefore, businesses need to follow the market closely to make appropriate adjustments.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius industry is facing new opportunities to expand its development space as many localities and businesses begin promoting marine farming models aimed at diversifying farming areas and adapting to climate change. However, for pangasius to truly “go offshore” and develop into a large-scale industry segment, significant challenges related to technology, broodstock, and markets still need to be addressed.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports in April 2026 reached USD 11 million, up 92% compared to the same period in 2025. This strong growth indicates that Vietnamese tilapia products are continuing to penetrate and expand rapidly in international markets. Cumulative export turnover in the first four months of 2026 reached USD 49 million, up 151% year-on-year.
(seafood.vasep.com) At VietShrimp Asia 2026, disease management trends in shrimp farming are shifting strongly from treatment-based approaches toward proactive prevention through environmental and pond ecosystem control.
(vasep.com.vn) After a period of strong growth, with export turnover reaching USD 38 million in Q1/2026 — up 174% year-on-year — the sector’s rapid expansion clearly reflects growing market opportunities.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first quarter of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the ASEAN bloc reached USD 44 million, up 7% compared to the same period in 2025. After falling to the lowest level of the quarter at USD 9 million in February — reflecting the seasonal slowdown in orders after the festive period — exports recovered strongly to USD 18 million in March, the highest monthly value of the quarter. This development shows that import demand for pangasius in ASEAN remains relatively stable despite short-term fluctuations.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On May 11, 2026, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced a positive comparability finding for Vietnam’s swimming crab fisheries, along with those of Indonesia and Sri Lanka, under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). With this decision, seafood and seafood products harvested from Vietnam’s swimming crab fisheries will continue to be eligible for import into the US market.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a slowdown in 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Germany showed more positive signs in the first quarter of 2026. However, the recovery remains uncertain as consumer demand in Germany is still cautious, while market competition is increasingly driven by pricing and supply stability.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a sharp decline in 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Israel are showing positive signs of recovery in the early months of 2026. According to Vietnam Customs data, export turnover to this market grew steadily month by month in Q1/2026, reaching nearly USD 10 million, up 33% compared to the same period in 2025. However, compared to Q1/2024, this level remains significantly lower, indicating that the recovery is still in its early stage following last year’s strong adjustment.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Entering 2026, the U.S. whitefish market has shown complex developments as global cod supply continues to tighten, while the U.S. trade environment becomes less stable. In this context, the U.S. market has had to become more flexible in sourcing alternative whitefish. However, relying heavily on Alaska pollock is not a long-term solution, as it is a strictly managed fishery with quotas and sustainability regulations, limiting any rapid increase in output to offset cod shortages.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Aquaculture, capture fisheries, and seed production activities in Lam Dong in the early months of 2026 continued to show positive signs, with both output and farming area slightly increasing compared to the same period, contributing to maintaining overall industry stability.
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