March Exports Rebound but Remain Lower Year-on-Year
According to Vietnam Customs, tuna exports in March 2026 reached nearly USD 80 million, a sharp increase from USD 53 million in February, but still down 11% compared to March 2025. Overall, in Q1 2026, tuna exports totaled USD 208 million, down 4% year-on-year.
This trend indicates a month-on-month recovery, but demand in many key markets remains unstable. In terms of product structure, tuna under HS03 continued to dominate with USD 119 million, up slightly by 1%. Notably, canned tuna also increased marginally by 1%, while other processed tuna products dropped sharply by 34%. Meanwhile, fresh/frozen/dried tuna (excluding HS0304) declined significantly by 43%.
U.S. Remains the Largest Market but Sees Decline
The United States remained Vietnam’s largest tuna import market, with export value reaching USD 74 million in Q1 2026, accounting for nearly 36% of total exports. However, exports to the U.S. fell by 12% compared to the same period last year. Similarly, exports to the EU declined by 8%, totaling over USD 47 million. Within the bloc, exports to the Netherlands dropped by 11%, while Germany recorded a slight increase of 8%.
These developments show that demand in traditional markets remains sluggish, putting pressure on Vietnam’s tuna exports in the early months of the year.
Middle East, Russia, and Egypt Emerge as Bright Spots
In contrast, several markets recorded strong growth. Exports to Russia reached nearly USD 14 million, up 44%; Israel nearly USD 10 million, up 33%; Egypt USD 6 million, up 65%; Mexico USD 5 million, up 26%; and the Philippines USD 5 million, up 13%. Notably, exports to the Middle East reached nearly USD 22 million in Q1, up 11% year-on-year.
These markets are helping offset part of the decline in the U.S. and EU.
Export Outlook: Continued Market Divergence
In the short term, Vietnam’s tuna exports may continue to recover following the upward trend seen in March, particularly in markets with strong growth such as Russia, the Middle East, Israel, Egypt, Mexico, and some CPTPP countries. The CPTPP bloc recorded nearly USD 31 million in Q1, up 9%, indicating its potential to partly compensate for declines in the U.S. and EU.
However, growth prospects will vary across product segments. Canned tuna and processed products are expected to maintain better momentum compared to raw or frozen products. Key challenges remain, including compliance requirements in the U.S., increasingly stringent sustainability standards in the EU, price competition in ASEAN, and volatility in global raw material supply.
In the coming months, Vietnam’s tuna exports are likely to continue experiencing divergence across markets. While the U.S. and EU may not recover quickly, the Middle East, Russia, North Africa, and niche markets could remain key growth drivers. If businesses capitalize on demand for canned and convenient tuna products while expanding into alternative markets, exports could gradually improve in Q2 2026.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tuna exports continued to decline in March 2026. Cumulatively, in the first three months of the year, export value reached USD 208 million, down 4% compared to the same period in 2025. The export landscape shows clear divergence across markets: while the U.S. and EU remain challenging, markets such as Russia, the Middle East, Egypt, the Philippines, and Mexico have emerged as growth bright spots.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In Quang Ngai Province, shrimp farming costs are rising sharply due to लगातार increases in feed, fuel, and input material prices, while farm-gate shrimp prices are declining. This has significantly reduced farmers’ profit margins and increased production risks.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports are experiencing impressive growth, reflecting expanding global demand as well as the sector’s development potential. However, behind the strong growth figures lie limitations in production capacity and supply chains, highlighting the need for sustainable development in the coming period.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East in 2025 and early 2026 have shown notable growth. However, escalating geopolitical tensions in the region have increasingly impacted export activities since March. This situation presents a challenge of balancing market expansion opportunities with rising trade risks.
(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.
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