As a country with a highly developed fishing industry, Canada catches more than 3.800 MT of Pacific albacore tuna, however the amount is insufficient to meet domestic demand. Therefore, Canada still has to import tuna from other countries in the world. By the end of 2017, Canada is currently the 14th largest market for tuna imports in the world.
Tuna is one of the staple foods in many Canadian families, especially canned tuna. According to the statistics of the International Trade Center, the first half of 2018, Canada's canned tuna imports accounted for more than 86% of the country's total volume of tuna imports.
To meet the demand of domestic consumption and tuna production, Canada is importing tuna from 46 countries around the world. Thailand, the US, Vietnam, Philippines, Italy, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea are the main tuna supplies for this market in the first 8 months of 2018.
Among them, ASEAN countries account for more than 84% of the total volume of Canadian tuna imports. According to ITC statistics, the export of tuna of ASEAN countries to this market in recent years is not stable with constant sin-shaped fluctuations. The volume of Canadian tuna imports from ASEAN countries ranged from 1.7 to 3.7 thousand MT in the first 6 months of this year.
Currently Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines are the three largest tuna suppliers in ASEAN for this market. With the largest market share, accounting for nearly 75% of the total volume of Canadian tuna imports, Thailand is dominating the Canadian tuna market, especially in the market segment of canned tuna. Meanwhile, the Philippines and Vietnam only account for 4% market share.
Notably, while there was a tendency to reduce tuna imports from Thailand, imports from other sources, including Vietnam increased. This shows that Canadian businesses tend to diversify their supply sources, avoiding dependence on suppliers from Thailand. In addition, the high price of skipjack in Bangkok has reduced the competitive advantage of Thai canned tuna products in the Canadian market.
In addition, because the amount of tuna caught in Thailand tended to decrease in the previous time due to the ban on sea exploitation, Thailand's supply of processed tuna also became limited. Therefore, Canada must find alternative sources from other countries like the Philippines and Vietnam.
According to statistics of Vietnam Customs, in the first 9 months of this year, Canada has imported nearly 11 million USD of tuna products from Vietnam, up by 13.5% compared to the same period in 2017. In which, export value for frozen tuna / fillet products accounted for the highest proportion of 69%. Compared to last year, the export of tuna from Vietnam to Canada increased over the same period, except for the one of frozen tuna fillet.
While canned tuna products imported into Canada are subject to tax, fresh and frozen tuna products are exempted from import duty. Currently, Vietnam's canned tuna exports to Canada are subject to 4% tax, while the number for Thailand, Philippines, the US and Italy are 5.8%, 4%, 0% and 5.8% respectively.
With the exemption of import tax on fresh and frozen tuna and low tariff on canned tuna processing, Canada is the remarkable export market for businesses at this time, especially when the demand for tuna imports of traditional large markets like the US and EU are becoming more unstable.
(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.
(vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Chile imported more than USD 156 million worth of tuna, up 8.1% compared to the previous year and the highest level in the past five years. As the supply structure in this market is rapidly shifting, Vietnamese tuna is facing both opportunities to expand market share and increasing competitive pressure from Thailand, Colombia, and China.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vinh Long Province is stepping up efforts to develop brackish water shrimp farming in a sustainable direction, identifying it as a key sector in its agricultural structure. In 2026, the province aims to reach around 71,300 hectares of shrimp farming, with an output of over 314,000 tons.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Ha Tinh Province is strengthening control over shrimp seed quality to minimize risks for the 2026 spring–summer farming season.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In February 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports reached USD 119 million, down slightly 5% year-on-year. However, thanks to strong performance in January, cumulative exports in the first two months of the year still reached USD 331 million, up 28% compared to the same period in 2025. Export activity slowed somewhat in February due to seasonal factors, particularly the Lunar New Year holiday, which disrupted production and shipments at many seafood processing enterprises.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Da Nang is accelerating the development of high-tech shrimp farming toward intensive production, disease control, and improved efficiency. Many shrimp farms have invested in automated environmental monitoring systems, continuously tracking indicators such as pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and salinity, enabling farmers to promptly adjust pond conditions and reduce disease risks.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The year 2025 is considered a turning point for Vietnam’s shrimp seed industry as the sector faces the need for strong transformation in technology, production management, and gradual self-sufficiency in broodstock supply. These factors are seen as key to improving seed quality and strengthening the competitiveness of the shrimp industry amid increasingly demanding market requirements.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In February 2026, Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached nearly USD 310 million, up 17% year-on-year. Cumulatively for the first two months of the year, shrimp export value totaled USD 690 million, an increase of 20% compared with the same period last year. Compared with the 22% growth recorded in January, the pace of increase in February slowed somewhat, reflecting seasonal factors as the Lunar New Year holiday partially disrupted processing and shipment activities. Nevertheless, the nearly 20% growth in the first two months indicates that shrimp orders from Vietnam are maintaining a more positive trend than in the same period last year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to the latest statistics for January 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius export value to major market blocs recorded encouraging growth compared with the same period last year, indicating that consumption demand is gradually recovering.
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