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) Golden pompano is being selected as a high-value species for the development of high-tech marine aquaculture in Lam Dong Province. In 2026, the provincial Agricultural Extension Center launched a golden pompano farming model using circular HDPE cages in Lien Huong Commune, opening opportunities to apply technology to marine farming at a scale suited to local coastal conditions.
(vasep.com.vn) The application of biotechnology in seed production is increasingly viewed as a strategic imperative to upgrade pangasius fingerling quality, optimize farming efficiency and anchor sustainable industry development.
(vasep.com.vn) On September 15, 2026, in Can Tho, VASEP and ASC jointly organized a training course titled “New ASC standards: updates and practical implementation guidance for farms, businesses and aquafeed mills”. Beyond briefing stakeholders on updated ASC requirements for aquaculture facilities and feed production, the workshop dedicated substantial floor time to directly addressing on-the-ground compliance bottlenecks encountered by Vietnamese enterprises.
(searfood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports continued to post positive results in the first eight months of 2026, with total export value reaching US$90 million, up 43% year-on-year. However, exports in August alone stood at US$11 million, down 8%, reflecting uneven market developments. Brazil remained the leading market, while Japan recorded notable growth, opening up new opportunities for Vietnamese tilapia products.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached US$3.3 billion in the first eight months of 2026, up 12% year on year. However, growth has begun to slow and become more differentiated across markets, while the U.S. and EU continue to present significant challenges. The latest insights from the Global Shrimp Forum 2026 (GSF 2026), held in early September, also indicate that the final months of the year will remain highly competitive as global supply continues to expand and buyers increasingly focus on quality, product specifications, supply stability and the ability to meet market-specific demand.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In August 2026, Vietnam’s seafood exports reached $1.14 billion, up 6% year on year. Cumulative eight-month exports rose 11.8% to $8.00 billion, though momentum has cooled compared to the 12.8% growth seen through July. China - Hong Kong and ASEAN are offsetting weakness in the U.S, EU and partly Japan. This divergence will likely widen in Q4 as trade tariffs and traceability requirements directly weigh on new orders.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam–Russia relations are entering a new phase of cooperation, with a focus on expanding trade, investment and economic connectivity. Against this backdrop, tuna is emerging as one of the seafood products with significant growth potential in the Russian market. Export data for the first seven months of 2026 show strong growth in Vietnamese tuna exports to Russia. However, turning this momentum into sustainable market share will require businesses to address challenges related to logistics, payment and supply competition.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnamese tilapia is moving into a higher-value segment as brackish-water farmed fish from the Mekong Delta is now being processed for sashimi and exported regularly to Japan.
(seafoo.vasep.com.vn) Ca Mau Province is stepping up efforts to protect aquatic resources and promote transparent and sustainable fisheries, joining the country’s efforts to have the European Commission (EC) remove its “yellow card” warning for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam has strengthened its position in China’s massive seafood market, becoming the largest lobster supplier while maintaining a dominant share of the country’s imported pangasius.
VASEP - HIỆP HỘI CHẾ BIẾN VÀ XUẤT KHẨU THỦY SẢN VIỆT NAM
Chịu trách nhiệm: Ông Nguyễn Hoài Nam - Phó Tổng thư ký Hiệp hội
Đơn vị vận hành trang tin điện tử: Trung tâm VASEP.PRO
Trưởng Ban Biên tập: Bà Phùng Thị Kim Thu
Giấy phép hoạt động Trang thông tin điện tử tổng hợp số 138/GP-TTĐT, ngày 01/10/2013 của Bộ Thông tin và Truyền thông
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 – (ext.203); email: kimthu@vasep.com.vn
Trụ sở: Số 7 đường Nguyễn Quý Cảnh, Phường An Phú, Quận 2, Tp.Hồ Chí Minh
Tel: (+84) 28.628.10430 - Fax: (+84) 28.628.10437 - Email: vasephcm@vasep.com.vn
VPĐD: số 10, Nguyễn Công Hoan, Ngọc Khánh, Ba Đình, Hà Nội
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 - Fax: (+84 24) 37715084 - Email: vasephn@vasep.com.vn