From 2010’s peak of 65,800 MT, the U.S. imported 46% less of the raw material in 2011. American seafood giant Bumble Bee closed two of its plants last year, and the effect can be seen in the decline of imports. In July 2011, its albacore loining plant in Fiji closed temporarily after a dispute with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As a result, the small Pacific island nation’s market share dropped significantly from 2010 to 2011, with its export volume declining by 69% to a total of 4,600 MT.
Bumble Bee also entirely stopped processing albacore tuna at its factory in Trinidad and Tobago last September due to low production volumes. Trinidad and Tobago exported 5,600 MT in 2011, a 26% decrease from 2010.
Thailand, the leading exporter in tuna loins to the U.S., also fell 8% last year, but overall it showed exceptional growth from 2006 to 2011, peaking at 26,800 MT in 2010. Thai Union the owner of Chicken of the Sea has in 2010 set up a canning plant in the US, Tri-Union Seafoods, based in Georgia. This plant also runs entirely on pre-cooked loins.
Other exporting countries, not including Trinidad and Tobago or Ecuador, made a huge impact in 2011 as they made zero deliveries in tuna loins to the American market. This is a dramatic change from 2010, when they exported a combined total of 16,400 MT.
Since 2006, the U.S. imports of the raw material, used for canned tuna, have declined by 30% to reach the lowest point in the five year period, totaling 35,800 MT. This suggests the domestic canned tuna production is also decreasing, which mirrors the country’s shrinking consumer demand for canned tuna as well. Since 2000, about 11% of American households have stopped eating tuna.
At this years Infofish World Tuna Conference in Bangkok Thai packers also said they would be reducing their output of frozen pre-cooked loins due to the higher labor costs they are facing. Thailand will concentrate more on canning.
The closure this year of Bumble Bee its plant in Puerto Rico, is also a sign that even more of the US consumed canned tuna will in the future come either from tuna canneries in Thailand, Philippines, China or Vietnam or from American Samoa.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Nearly US$1.7 billion is the projected gap in 2029 between the baseline scenario and a scenario in which Vietnam’s seafood exports grow by 10% annually, according to calculations by VASEP to be presented at Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026. This gap raises a key question for the entire industry: Which markets, products and supply chain improvements will generate the additional growth?
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Although Germany’s tuna imports have declined, Vietnam’s tuna exports to the market continue to show positive signs. Notably, export value recovered strongly in Q3/2026, and German import data also show Vietnamese products strengthening their position amid competition among suppliers.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood exports are holding double-digit growth, but the opportunities are not spread evenly across product groups and markets. As businesses draw up their plans for 2027, Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS2026) offers a chance to look ahead together: what to sell, where to sell it, and how to prepare for growth in the coming years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) With less than two weeks to go, the Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026) will officially take place in Can Tho. Under the theme “Seafood Market Outlook 2027–2029 – Opportunities and Potential for Double-Digit Export Growth,” the Summit is organized by VASEP at a time when seafood businesses are facing rapid market shifts, changing buyer demand, trade policy changes and growing competitive pressure all at once.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On October 28, 2026, the China Fisheries & Seafood Expo opened in Qingdao, China. The expo takes place over three days from October 28 to 30, 2026. This is a prestigious specialized seafood exhibition organized annually by Sea Fare Exposition Inc.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first nine months of 2026, Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the CPTPP bloc reached $7 million, marking a 51% year-on-year increase. The bloc rstands as the fourth-largest market for Vietnamese tilapia, trailing Brazil, the US, and Saudi Arabia.
(vasep.com.vn) VASEP has officially announced the program for Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026), featuring five in-depth sessions covering industry outlooks, trade barriers, buyer demand, the domestic market, and solutions to improve productivity and reduce costs across the seafood value chain.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached US$3.7 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 11% year on year. Although growth has been supported by China and several markets within the CPTPP, momentum is slowing as exports to the United States and the European Union decline. Tariff pressures, international competition, and raw material challenges are creating significant hurdles for exporters in the final months of the year.
(vasep.com.vn) Markets are changing faster, buyer requirements are becoming more demanding, and trade barriers are growing increasingly complex. In this environment, seafood businesses need more than an understanding of current market conditions. They need a longer-term perspective to answer a critical question: Where will growth opportunities come from in 2027–2029, and what should businesses do now to prepare? This is one of the key reasons why VASEP is organizing Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East reached US$113 million, up 7% year on year from the same period in 2025. Growth has become more pronounced in recent months. In August alone, exports to the region totaled US$20 million, an increase of 24%. This indicates that demand for Vietnamese pangasius in the Middle East is gradually recovering after a slowdown in March, although the pace of recovery varies across markets.
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