Export orders surged in Q3
Monthly tuna exports to Spain throughout the first 11 months of 2025 did not follow a steady upward trend, but instead spiked sharply at certain points - notably surging by 84% in September and an unprecedented 534% in November. In contrast, export values in several other months fell sharply.
This growth was underpinned by the robust performance of processed tuna product group under HS16, primarily driven by frozen steamed tuna loins, which rose by 16% compared with the same period last year. Conversely, exports of canned tuna to this market plummeted, recording a sharp 57% decline.
Intensifying competition in Spain’s frozen steamed tuna loin segment
Spain is one of the world’s largest seafood markets, characterized by a structural deficit: high domestic demand coupled with insufficient local production, making imports a cornerstone of the industry.
As a major processing hub, competition in Spain is particularly intense within the frozen steamed tuna loin/fillet segment, which supply both canning factories and private-label systems. Supply-chain analysis of Spain’s canned tuna industry relies heavily on non-EU sources for raw materials. Specifically, tuna loins imports are dominated by Ecuador, China and Papua New Guinea, while canned tuna imports are concentrated from Ecuador, Mauritius and El Salvador. Viet Nam currently holds only a modest market share, primarily due to a shortage of raw materials meeting "wholly obtained" origin requirements.
In the current context, this competition has been further amplified by the EU’s tariff preference mechanisms. The Council of the European Union has approved the ATQ for the 2024-2026 period, allowing the EU processing sector to import raw tuna loins from non-EU countries at reduced or 0% duty rates. Consequently, the “race” to integrate into Spain’s supply chain is no longer determined solely by price and quality, but increasingly by the ability to meet raw material specifications, delivery schedules and tariff optimization.
Import trends: tightening budgets drive shift toward convenience
Cost-of-living pressures in Spain are also reshaping consumption patterns. According to the USDA’s 2024 Spain Seafood Report, around one-third of Spanish households have scaled back their fish and meat consumption in response to inflation. Consumers are increasingly seeking more affordable protein sources, favoring canned and frozen and high-convenience products in smaller portion sizes.
This shift has sustained a stable demand for tuna segments destined for processing, packing and private-label retail, while intensifying competitive pressure on the mass-market segment.
2026 outlook
Based on the performance metrics of 2025, the outlook for Vietnamese tuna in Spain for early 2026 points toward a modest growth trajectory. Exports of frozen steamed tuna loins are likely to increase, aligning perfectly with Spain’s role as a processing hub and the EU-wide preference for high-convenience products.
Furthermore, new EU regulations imposing stricter standards on onboard freezing for purse seiners intended for human consumption are likely to constrain the import of certain high-value frozen tuna products, potentially reshaping the competitive landscape.
By contrast, Vietnamese canned tuna exported directly to Spain is unlikely to achieve a rapid breakthrough, given intense competition from competitors with superior tariff advantages such as Ecuador and the Philippines, as well as robust intra-EU supply chains.
For Vietnamese enterprises, the most promising strategic sweet spot in Spain for the coming year will undoubtedly reside in loin, fillet and semi-processed tuna products.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Speaking at the Opening Ceremony of VIETFISH 2026 on August 19 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), U.S. Consul General Melissa Brown highlighted the important role of the exhibition in connecting Vietnam’s growing seafood industry with buyers, suppliers, and partners from the United States and around the world.
(vasep.com.vn) Tomorrow, August 19, 2026, the Vietnam International Seafood Exhibition – Vietfish 2026 will officially open at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) in Ho Chi Minh City. Taking place over three days, from August 19–21, Vietfish 2026 promises to provide a dynamic platform for business networking, trend updates, product experiences and comprehensive cooperation across the domestic and international seafood community.
(vasep.com.vn) The global tilapia market continues to grow, creating significant opportunities for countries with strengths in aquaculture, processing, and exports. Against this backdrop, Vietnam’s tilapia industry is gradually developing toward higher quality, greater product diversification, and broader market reach. At Vietfish 2026, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), together with the VASEP Tilapia Producers and Exporters Club, will host a joint booth to promote the image and potential of Vietnamese tilapia to domestic and international buyers.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports are heading towards $12 billion this year, potentially the highest level on record. Yet one of the country’s export strengths is facing a growing list of challenges.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The first six months of 2026 indicate that Vietnam’s tilapia industry is entering a new phase of development, with strong export growth but also greater demands for production scale, quality and international competitiveness.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietfish 2026, the Vietnam International Seafood Exhibition, will officially take place from 19–21 August 2026 in Ho Chi Minh City. As Vietnam’s largest annual seafood trade event, organized by the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), Vietfish 2026 will once again bring together leading seafood companies, industry experts, and international partners from across the global seafood value chain.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached USD 1.1 billion in July 2026, up 4.8% compared to the same period in 2025. Cumulative exports in the first seven months of the year totaled nearly USD 6.86 billion, an increase of 11.5% year-on-year. Exceeding the USD 1 billion mark in July further reinforces the prospect that Vietnam’s seafood exports could surpass USD 12 billion in 2026. However, the July figures also send a clear signal that the most favorable growth period may have passed: overall export growth slowed to just 4.8%, pangasius exports fell 6.1%, tuna exports were virtually flat, while exports to the EU, South Korea, and the Middle East all recorded double-digit declines.
(vasep.com.vn) As part of the Vietnam Fisheries International Exhibition (Vietfish 2026), the seminar "Global Seafood Market and the Future Workforce: Trends, Opportunities, and Sustainable Development Pathways for Vietnam's Seafood Industry" will take place from 2:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. on August 19, 2026, at Convention Room B, Level 2, SECC, Ho Chi Minh City. This is the first of five specialized seminars at Vietfish 2026, focusing on key issues that are shaping the long-term development of Vietnam's seafood industry.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnamese seafood exports recorded impressive growth, generating nearly 6 billion USD in revenue during the first six months of the year, up 13% compared with the same period last year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Fishermen in Ha Tinh are gradually overcoming difficulties to maintain the efficiency of seafood exploitation. In the first six months of 2026, the entire province achieved a production of more than 23,000 tons of seafood, worth more than 1,200 billion VND.
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