Tuna Exports to the UK Recover in Early 2026
According to Vietnam Customs statistics, Vietnam’s tuna exports to the UK in the first four months of 2026 reached USD 3 million, up nearly 17% compared to the same period in 2025. Monthly export performance fluctuated, but the overall trend still pointed upward.
Vietnamese Tuna Moves Against the UK’s Import Trend
More notably, Vietnam’s growth came at a time when the UK’s overall tuna imports from global suppliers were declining. According to data from the International Trade Centre (ITC), in the first two months of 2026, the UK imported USD 82 million worth of tuna from the world, down 19% year-on-year.
Many major suppliers also saw exports to the UK decline, including Ecuador down 14%, Spain down 41%, Thailand down 27%, and the Philippines down 31%. In contrast, Vietnam’s exports surged by 166%, from USD 846,000 to USD 2.25 million. This indicates that Vietnamese tuna is outperforming the broader market trend and gaining a larger share within the UK’s import structure.
Competition in the UK Remains Intense
This export growth does not mean the UK market has become easier. The UK remains a highly competitive market. In the UK’s import structure for early 2026, Ecuador remained the largest supplier, followed by Mauritius, Ghana, Peru, Spain, and Thailand. These competitors have long-established positions, stable supply chains, and strong presence within the UK distribution system.
For Vietnam, the current growth is an encouraging signal, but turning it into sustained momentum will require more than just a few months of strong increases.
UK Tuna Demand Remains Fundamentally Strong
From a market perspective, tuna still holds a solid position in the UK. According to Seafish’s 2025 report, UK seafood imports increased in both volume and value, supported by supplies of tuna, Alaska pollock, and warm-water shrimp. Tuna was among the key product groups driving seafood import growth.
Moreover, consumer demand in the UK remains relatively stable for convenient seafood products. Tuna accounts for 69% of canned seafood choices among UK consumers. In 2024, tuna ranked third in UK seafood retail sales, after salmon and cod.
This is an important detail because it shows that the UK is not merely a short-term opportunity, but rather a market with well-established consumption demand for canned tuna, ready-to-eat products, sandwiches, and quick meals.
Tariff Advantages Open More Opportunities for Vietnamese Tuna
For Vietnamese exporters, opportunities also come from tariff advantages. The UK officially joined the CPTPP on December 15, 2024, and the agreement took effect between the UK and Vietnam from that date. Together with the UKVFTA, this provides Vietnamese products with improved market access advantages.
For canned and packaged tuna, the UKVFTA maintains a tariff-rate quota mechanism of 11,500 metric tons per year eligible for 0% duty. Beyond the quota, the base tariff rate of 20.5% will gradually decline according to the agreed roadmap.
However, tariff preferences do not automatically translate into orders. The UK market currently favors suppliers capable of ensuring stable deliveries, competitive pricing, and products aligned with convenient consumption trends. Ecuador remains very strong due to its large supply base, while Mauritius and Ghana continue to maintain high positions thanks to well-established supply chains.
Therefore, if Vietnamese companies want to gain additional market share, they will need not only to leverage the UKVFTA and CPTPP, but also to focus on the right segments: frozen tuna, tuna loins, canned tuna, and convenient processed products rather than spreading resources too broadly.
In the short term, Vietnam’s tuna exports to the UK are expected to maintain growth momentum, especially as the country continues expanding its market share while the UK’s overall tuna imports decline.
(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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