A promising market
According to statistics from Vietnam Customs, tuna exports to the Middle Eastern market reached nearly USD 113 million in 2024, ranking fourth after the U.S., the EU, and CPTPP member countries. Vietnamese tuna products have penetrated almost all nations in this region, with Israel, Lebanon, and Egypt being the leading importers. Over the past year, tuna exports to key importing markets in the Middle East have all increased compared to the previous year.
Israel currently leads the region in importing Vietnamese tuna and is the second-largest single-country market after the U.S., accounting for nearly 7% of Vietnam’s total tuna export value in 2024, up 30% from 2023. Other countries such as Lebanon, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE have also recorded strong double-digit growth.
Vietnam’s signing of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the UAE—one of the region’s largest economic hubs and a key destination for Vietnamese seafood, including tuna—is creating further opportunities to boost exports. Currently, both Vietnam and the UAE are striving to complete the CEPA ratification process by Q1 2025. Once the agreement comes into effect, tariffs on Vietnamese tuna exports to the UAE will immediately be reduced to 0%.
Significant challenges
Despite its potential, seafood exports to the Middle East face several challenges, with the most notable being Halal certification requirements. Products must be processed and certified in accordance with Islamic law, necessitating significant investment from Vietnamese exporters in production processes, inspections, and quality management.
According to projections by various organizations and experts, the global Muslim population is expected to increase by approximately 50% by 2050, reaching 2.76 billion people. As a result, the global Halal industry is anticipated to grow substantially, driven by increased investment and technological advancements, such as pork detection technologies and Halal verification systems.
If Vietnamese products can meet Halal certification requirements in the UAE, this would serve as a key gateway to access broader Middle Eastern markets. Notably, Halal standards increasingly align with modern consumer trends, emphasizing high quality, ethical sourcing, environmental sustainability, and clear traceability.
However, a major challenge for the global Halal food industry lies in the lack of uniformity in certification procedures. The differing Halal certification processes across countries can create confusion and hinder Vietnamese businesses in their efforts to enter new markets. Furthermore, companies must ensure a clear understanding of the specific components that constitute Halal-compliant food to fully meet market requirements.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Tilapia is easy to farm and provides high economic and nutritional value, making it a sought-after export commodity in many countries.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports in the first 10 months of 2025 recorded significant progress, reaching more than USD 9.5 billion, up 15% year-on-year. This result reflects the sector’s persistent efforts amid a highly volatile market, especially policy shocks from the US Although signs of slowdown emerged in the third quarter due to countervailing taxes, key product groups still maintained strong momentum and created a foundation for full-year exports to reach USD 11 billion.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s agreement with the United States on a framework for reciprocal, fair, and balanced trade—reached during the 2025 ASEAN Summit in Malaysia—has generated strong optimism for Vietnamese exports, including tuna. Numerous positive points in the joint statement have raised high expectations for Vietnamese export goods, but turning these expectations into tangible benefits remains a long and challenging journey.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) At the conference on “Linking the Production and Consumption Chain of Ca Mau Crab 2025,” Vice Chairman of the Ca Mau Provincial People’s Committee Lê Văn Sử posed a central question: how to shift the province’s crab exports toward official trade channels, instead of relying heavily on small-scale border trade with China as currently practiced.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The whitefish market in Japan is showing a clear divergence among supplying countries, in which Vietnam continues to affirm its role as a stable and high-potential exporter. Vietnam currently ranks third after the US and Russia in whitefish export value to Japan. Thanks to tariff incentives and the ability to meet Japan’s strict standards, Vietnamese pangasius continues to record a stable and positive growth trend.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The People's Committee of Ca Mau Province has just issued a plan to expand the super-intensive, low-water-exchange, biosecure white-leg shrimp farming model (RAS-IMTA) for whiteleg shrimp farming to a scale of 1,500 hectares, aiming to develop high-tech, sustainable and environmentally friendly shrimp farming.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Sa Giang Import-Export Joint Stock Company (HNX: SGC) plans to issue over 7.1 million shares to raise nearly 465 Billion VND for Hoan Ngoc M&A Deal.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to Rabobank, global tilapia production is forecast to exceed 7 million tons in 2025, driven by a strong recovery in major producing countries including China, Indonesia, Egypt, Bangladesh and Vietnam. Among them, Vietnam is emerging as a potential tilapia supplier in the global supply chain, capitalizing on market fluctuations to expand production and exports.
By the end of Q3/2025, Vietnam’s seafood industry recorded a clear recovery as a series of leading companies reported strong profits — some even achieving the highest results in their history. After several quarters struggling with high costs and weakened demand, the latest business results indicate a robust comeback across the industry.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On November 12 in Ho Chi Minh City, the Embassy of the Netherlands, in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, organized the Vietnam–Netherlands Business Forum under the theme “Shaping the future of sustainable aquaculture in the Mekong Delta.”
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