Exports continue to decline sharply
From the beginning of the year to September 2025, Vietnam’s tuna export value to Israel recorded sharp decreases ranging from 29% to 69%. In 2024, Israel was Vietnam’s second-largest single tuna import market and the biggest importer among Middle Eastern markets. However, in 2025, exports to this market have dropped significantly.
Israel shifts its import structure
Israel is diversifying its tuna import sources, increasing purchases from Thailand, Ecuador, and the Philippines—countries that have advantages in terms of price and more stable supply amid rising global transportation costs.
Tuna consumption demand in Israel remains stable, especially for canned products, but buyers are becoming more cautious about price and delivery times. Geopolitical tensions in the region and fluctuations in logistics have led importers to prioritize partners with shorter and more stable supply chains.
Exports to Israel face multiple challenges
One of the main reasons for the sharp decline in Vietnam’s tuna exports to Israel in 2025 is logistics disruptions and rising transportation costs, which reduce the competitiveness of long-distance shipments.
Second, Vietnam’s tuna products face strong price competition from Asia-Pacific countries with large processing capacity such as Thailand and the Philippines.
Third, stricter and in some cases unreasonable requirements for traceability and compliance with regulations on illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing are forcing Vietnamese exporters to invest additional time and compliance costs. Instability in raw material supply and delivery times has also led some Israeli importers to temporarily reduce orders or shift to other suppliers.
Vietnam once surpassed Thailand to become Israel’s largest tuna supplier, showing that recovery opportunities remain if competitiveness is improved. To regain market share, Vietnamese exporters need to optimize logistics costs, enhance deep-processing capacity, ensure traceability, and strengthen long-term relationships with importers. The nearly 50% decline in tuna exports to Israel is a clear warning about the risks of dependence on traditional markets, requiring exporters to proactively diversify markets and adapt to new import trends, where sustainability, transparency, and cost efficiency are increasingly prioritized.
(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.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports in February 2026 reached approximately USD 707 million, up 8% compared to the same period last year. Cumulatively, exports in the first two months of 2026 totaled USD 1.7 billion, an increase of 20.2% year-on-year. The results show that the sector’s recovery momentum has remained relatively solid following strong growth in January, although the pace slowed noticeably in February for several key products and major markets. Within the overall picture, shrimp continues to be the largest pillar, pangasius rebounds strongly, while tuna exports and the U.S. and Korean markets are sending signals that warrant closer monitoring. In March, seafood exports are expected to gain additional momentum from markets other than the U.S., potentially supporting stronger growth.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first months of 2026, fishing activities in Quang Tri province recorded many positive signals, with output reaching over 15,941 tons. This result not only demonstrates fishermen’s efforts to stay offshore but also reflects the effectiveness of management and support measures implemented by local authorities.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first months of 2026, IUU prevention models focused on communication and mobilizing fishermen to comply with fisheries laws and avoid encroaching on foreign waters—related to combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing—have been implemented in coastal localities of Lam Dong province and have delivered initial positive results.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The sharp rise in raw pangasius prices to record levels is sending positive signals for the industry, but experts warn of potential supply–demand imbalances if production is not tightly controlled.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to statistics from Vietnam Customs, the country’s total canned tuna export value in 2025 reached over USD 275 million, down 8% compared to 2024. Vietnamese canned tuna products were present in approximately 80 markets worldwide. However, the 2025 picture shows clear divergence: the U.S. maintained stability, the EU declined sharply, while several Middle East–North Africa (MENA) markets accelerated.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s crab exports reached nearly USD 86 million, up almost 6% compared to 2024. A notable feature of 2025 was the strong market concentration in the United States, which accounted for more than 81% of Vietnam’s total crab export value, up 10% from the previous year. In contrast, exports to several Asian markets declined significantly, resulting in only modest overall growth for the year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s tilapia exports recorded impressive growth, with total export turnover reaching over USD 99 million, highlighting the increasingly important role of this product in the country’s seafood export structure. Of this total, tilapia fillets and other fish meat products accounted for USD 61 million, representing 61% of total export value and reaffirming their position as the key product category.
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