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.
Vĩnh Hoàn Corporation (stock code: VHC – HoSE) has outlined an ambitious business plan for 2025, targeting revenue of VND 13,800 billion (up 10.3% from 2024) and after-tax profit of VND 1,500 billion (up 22.3%). This follows a successful 2024, where the company recorded revenue of VND 12,513 billion (exceeding 109% of the plan) and after-tax profit of VND 1,226 billion (surpassing 123% of the VND 1,000 billion profit target). The 2025 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders is scheduled for April 24 in Ho Chi Minh City to discuss these plans.
Sa Giang Import-Export Corporation continues to assert its position as one of the leading export enterprises in Đồng Tháp, achieving a revenue of thousands of billions of VND from shrimp crackers and rice paper in the past year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After three years of implementation, the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA) has yielded positive results for Vietnam’s tuna exports. The United Kingdom officially became a member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) on December 15, 2024. This is expected to bring significant benefits for seafood enterprises, particularly in terms of tariffs and intra-bloc origin regulations - especially for tuna products.
On March 3, Sa Giang and Citek officially launched a comprehensive enterprise digital transformation project using the GROW with SAP solution.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to the Action Plan to implement the growth targets for agriculture, forestry, and aquaculture from the Bình Định Department of Agriculture and Environment, which has just been issued, the goal for 2025 is to achieve an overall GRDP growth rate for the entire sector from 3.6% to 3.8%, with the highest effort to reach a growth rate of 3.8%.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The area for Pangasius farming in Dong Thap currently exceeds 1,332 hectares, with over 180 hectares harvested, yielding 81,733 tons of fish. The Pangasius industry has 87% of its production area in line with the planning regulations; most production areas apply technical procedures and standards to meet the market requirements of importing countries.
The UK joining CPTPP not only does not create barriers but also brings many advantages and great opportunities for domestic footwear and seafood businesses.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Phùng Đức Tiến talked to Việt Nam News reporter Tố Như about the future development orientation after the ministry officially began operations.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam is signatory to three new-generation Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), and specifically with the United Kingdom (UK), maintains two FTAs: the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA). The confluence of content and approaches within these two Agreements fosters a conducive environment for enterprises from both nations to maximally leverage trade and investment opportunities, notably encompassing Pangasius exports to the UK.
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