Philippines had been the leading exporter to Germany for many years, but Ecuador has since taken over that position.
In 2011, Ecuador gained significant ground in the growing German tuna market, rallying from the middle of the pack in 2010 to become the top exporter with a quarter share of the market. Last year, the South American country boosted its deliveries by 107% to ship 15,149 tons of canned tuna, surpassing the imports from both Philippines and Papua New Guinea.
Ecuador has the second largest fleet in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and it catches the majority of the region’s skipjack (62%). It’s also one of the world’s largest processors of canned tuna, next to Thailand and Spain, producing more than 500 tons daily. It sends the majority (60%) of its canned tuna products to Europe, where it has duty free market access.
The Philippines, which also has a significant domestic fleet, also continues to be a major player in the German market, but its position is shrinking. In 2011, it shipped about 10% less for a total volume of 15,074 tons compared to 2010. While it controlled a relatively equal 25% share of the market with Ecuador last year, it previously accounted for 32% of Germany’s canned tuna imports. This decline could be caused by the disadvantage in duty that Philippines has compared to Ecuador. Canned tuna from Ecuador is duty free while Philippines has a 20.5% or 24% tariff.
Still, Philippines remains strong in the German food service sector, with most of the canned imports being in the 60.5 oz can size.
In that sense, the expansion of Indonesia and Vietnam (also with 24% duty) are remarkable. Compared to 2010, Vietnam’s canned tuna exports to Germany grew by 62% to 5,379 tons, while Indonesia’s climbed by 23% for a total of 8,027 tons.
Germany is also importing less duty free canned tuna from Papua New Guinea. Last year, the canned tuna volume from Papua New Guinea – which has duty free market access – declined by 22% to reach 8,300 tons. As a result, the country lost 6% in market share in 2011.
(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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