According to statistics of Vietnam Customs, by the end of 2021, Russia and Ukraine are two of the 20 largest importers of Vietnamese tuna by value. Both these countries are importing a lot of frozen tuna from Vietnam.
As for the Russian market, the 13th largest tuna import market of Vietnam, the value of Vietnam's tuna exports to this market in the past 10 years has increased from 364 thousand USD in 2012 to more than 14 million USD in 2021, increased more than 39 times. Although in the past 5 years, the export value of tuna to this market has not been stable, but it is on an uptrend and recovering well after the pandemic.
Tuna exports to Russia in 2021 account for 2% of the total tuna export value of foreign fish, an increase of 58% compared to 2020, and even higher than in 2019, the time before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. And in January 2022 alone, tuna exports to this market increased by 427% over the same period.
For Ukraine market, the 19th largest tuna import market of Vietnam, the export value of tuna has increased 58 times in 10 years, from 115 thousand USD in 2012 to 6.8 million USD in 2021. In the past 5 years, the value of tuna exports to Ukraine has increased continuously. In 2021 alone, exports increased by 106% compared to 2020, and tripled compared to 2019, accounting for 1% of Vietnam's total tuna export value.
According to businesses, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine broke out, some orders had to be returned, and tuna export transactions to both countries had to be halted due to risks in banking transactions. Supply chains for production and import and export are broken. Businesses are having to monitor the situation to handle inventory or find ways to export to other markets.
Besides, Russia and Ukraine are the most important suppliers of sunflower oil to the global market, including Vietnam, so if the conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues to escalate, this will affect directly to the tuna industry. Prices for most vegetable oils are now up to all-time highs in January 2022, while canned tuna processors are facing unprecedentedly high sunflower oil prices. The high price of sunflower oil will push up the production cost of canned/bag tuna.
The oil market has been under pressure from the global pandemic and the Omicron variant. Prices have also begun to rise since the escalation of tensions between Russia and Ukraine. Rising fuel costs are expected to push up raw tuna prices due to rising fishing costs. Besides, sea freight rates already at exorbitant levels are expected to continue to rise higher. And now major shipping lines have announced not to transport to and from Russia, increasing shipping costs...
Faced with this situation, although the two markets do not account for a large proportion of Vietnam's total tuna exports, but before the above impacts, it is expected that Vietnam's tuna exports in the coming months will "decelerate".
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On July 9, 2026, the Embassy of Vietnam in Brazil organized the seminar titled “Sharing Information on Vietnam-Brazil Economic, Trade and Investment Relations in the First Half of 2026” to provide updates on bilateral cooperation and strengthen connections among government agencies, industry associations, and business communities of the two countries.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood exports in the first 6 months of the year continued to be a bright spot with a total turnover of 5.7 billion USD, an increase of 11.4% compared to the same period last year. By commodity group, seafood is one of the three groups with a trade balance in the first 6 months of 2026 in a surplus state with 4.13 billion USD, an increase of 17%.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) For many years, Vietnam’s seafood industry has been recognized as one of the country’s key export pillars. Products such as shrimp, pangasius, tuna, squid, octopus, and a wide range of other seafood have reached hundreds of markets worldwide. Yet behind these impressive export figures lies a significant challenge: a substantial share of Vietnam’s seafood export value still comes from minimally processed products, contract manufacturing, and raw material exports—segments characterized by low profit margins and high vulnerability to fluctuations in global prices.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the context of a global economy shifting powerfully toward green and sustainable values, Vietfish 2026 is far more than just a commercial trade fair. It has become a strategic rendezvous and a "comprehensive ecosystem"—a convergence of value, knowledge, and sustainable growth opportunities for the entire industry chain.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports to Colombia continued their strong upward momentum in May 2026. Export value to the market reached USD 4 million, up 24% compared to the same month in 2025. Cumulative exports in the first five months of 2026 totaled USD 24 million, an impressive 48% increase year-on-year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Hai Phong's aquaculture sector is accelerating the adoption of high technologies in aquaculture to adapt to climate change, with red tilapia and tilapia identified as the key cultured species for priority development.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached nearly US$1.1 billion in June 2026, up 21.0% year-on-year. Cumulative exports in the first half of 2026 totaled nearly US$5.8 billion, representing a 12.8% increase compared with the same period last year. Exports to China and Hong Kong continued to accelerate, while shipments to the United States rebounded strongly in June. In contrast, exports to the EU, Japan, and the Middle East remained sluggish or recorded slight declines.
(vasep.com.vn) Tilapia is playing an increasingly important role in Vietnam’s aquaculture sector, driven not only by growing market opportunities but also by its ability to meet increasingly stringent requirements on quality, food safety, and traceability. In practice, tilapia farming in Vietnam is not a spontaneous or loosely regulated activity; rather, it operates under a comprehensive legal and technical framework covering the entire value chain—from hatcheries and farming to processing and exports.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached USD 1.9 billion in the first five months of 2026, up 12% compared with the same period last year. Amid continued volatility in the global seafood market, this result demonstrates that the shrimp sector has maintained positive growth momentum, supported by improving demand in several Asian markets, particularly China.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On June 16, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Ca Mau Province announced that the locality has established a farming area code for nearly 30,400 hectares of mud crab aquaculture and granted export facility codes to five enterprises eligible to export mud crab officially to markets such as China, Cambodia, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
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