Exports to major markets are volatile
In December 2023, Vietnam's tuna exports to many markets had increased over the same period such as the EU, Russia, Chile, and the Philippines... Exports to the US, Canada, Japan, or Israel had decreased, however, the decrease was not sharp.
Exports to the US, Vietnam's largest tuna import market, after continuous growth in October and November, decreased slightly in December. Tuna exports to the US reached 25 million USD this month, down 1%. For the whole year 2023, tuna exports to the US had reached 326 million USD, down 33%.
Along with the US, Vietnam's 2nd largest single tuna import market, Israel, is also decreasing imports by 6% in December. However, due to good growth in the previous months, exports to this market for the whole year 2023 had increased by 37%, reaching more than 50 million USD.
Exports to Canada and Japan were also declining in December, with declines of 12% and 8%, respectively.
Contrary to the trend of exports to the above markets, exports to the EU continued to grow well, up 25% in December. However, for 2023, exports to this market block had only increased slightly by 6% compared to 2022. In this market block, Italy is still a bright spot market with a "galloping" growth rate, up 361% compared to 2022.
After a period of instability, tuna exports to Russia increased continuously again in the last months of 2023. In December alone, tuna exports to Russia increased by 96% over the same period. For 2023, exports to this market had reached nearly 29 million USD, up 18% compared to the previous year.
In 2024, many challenges make tuna exports recover slowly
2024 is a year with many difficulties, especially the European Commission (EC) maintains a yellow card warning for Vietnam's caught seafood products. In addition, the price of raw tuna on the world market has cooled down, but tensions in the Red Sea have caused freight rates to increase, which will make the price of finished tuna still high. Meanwhile, inflation in major countries has been contained, and the world economy has escaped the bottom but recovered slowly, so the demand for tuna imports in many countries has not shown signs of recovery. Competition in markets is increasingly fierce and inventories of processing and exporting enterprises are high. All these factors will hold back the recovery of Vietnam's tuna exports.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) By the end of 2025, Vietnam’s seafood industry had left a strong mark with export turnover reaching nearly $11.3 billion, up 12.4% year-on-year. This robust performance reflects not only a rebound in global consumption demand but also the agile adaptation of domestic firms in navigating increasingly stringent trade barriers.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to the 2025 review and 2026 outlook conference held by the Directorate of Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance on the afternoon of January 7, Vietnam’s seafood sector has set a total production target of over 10 million tons in 2026, representing a 0.6% increase year-on-year. Of this total, capture fisheries are projected at around 3.75 million tons (down 2.1%), while aquaculture output is expected to reach 6.25 million tonnes (up 2.2%) compared with 2025.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Sao Ta Food JSC (Fimex, Ticker: FMC) has announced its 2025 business results, reporting revenue of over $300 million (approximately 7.8 trillion VND), representing a 19.8% increase year-on-year; projected profit is expected to reach approximately 420 billion VND.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s fisheries sector concluded 2025 with landmark achievements: export turnover reached a record high, despite heightened volatility in global trade and increasingly stringent barriers from major markets, most notably the United States. Amid a mix of opportunities and challenges, the fisheries sector also witnessed important policy shifts. Together, these developments form a multifaceted picture of an industry proactively adapting and restructuring toward a trajectory of sustainable development.
(seafoos.vasep.com.vn) According to the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Vinh Long, the province’s shrimp farming area reached 69,800 hectares in 2025, including 7,500 hectares under high-tech farming models, 18,820 tons of black tiger shrimp and 293,000 tons of whiteleg shrimp.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Building on a robust growth momentum in 2025, Nghe An province has set a strategic goal to reach a total fisheries output of 270,000 tons by 2026, reinforcing its position as a key hub for aquaculture and exploitation.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Can Tho City statistics indicate that in 2025, following the merger of three former administrative entities - Can Tho, Hau Giang and Soc Trang - fisheries output in 2025 increased by 6.23% compared with 2024 with aquaculture production nearly 9.1 times higher than capture fisheries.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to the Ca Mau Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ca Mau province has achieved significant, comprehensive and substantive progress in combating IUU fishing in 2025, successfully fulfilling all tasks directed by the central government and strengthening fisheries governance. These efforts have established a solid foundation for the nationwide effort to lift the EC’s "yellow card" warning.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Ca Mau has exceeded its 2025 production targets, reaching nearly 595,000 tons of shrimp. This milestone reinforces the province’s position as Vietnam’s leading shrimp producer and a bright spot in the country’s seafood sector.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to Vietnam Customs data, cumulative shrimp exports from the beginning of the year through November reached $4.3 billion, up 21% year-on-year, continuing to serve as the primary growth driver of the entire seafood sector. In November alone, export turnover amounted to $393 million, up 14%.
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