With this result, in the first 6 months of 2024, Vietnam tuna exports to South Korea reached more than 14 million USD, an increase of 144% over the same period. South Korea became one of the largest 10 single tuna markets of Vietnam.
According to statistics from Vietnam Customs, in the first six months of this year, 15 Vietnam enterprises were participating in exporting tuna to this market. Leading ones are NHA TRANG BAY, YUEH CHYANG CANNED FOOD, and TRINITY VIETNAM, which account for 86% of total export turnover in the first half of 2024.
With a population of over 51 million people, South Korea is currently a potential market for Vietnamese tuna exporters, with a high growth trend since last year.
The Vietnam-South Korea Free Trade Agreement (VKFTA) took effect in December 2015, creating a foundation to promote economic, trade, and investment cooperation between the two countries to develop more strongly and effectively. The two countries are participating in the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP), and South Korea is considering joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), of which Vietnam is a member.
Currently, South Korea mainly imports processed and canned tuna from Vietnam, accounting for 99% of total export turnover, of which, South Korea mainly imports frozen steamed skipjack tuna loin/meat.
The change in seafood consumption trends in Korea following the trend of reduced consumer spending is an opportunity for Vietnamese seafood to boost exports of seafood products at suitable prices.
Like Japan, exports to Korea have the advantage of a close geographical location, stable consumption demand, and are the destination of many businesses in the coming time in the context of inflation, which is causing a sharp decrease in consumption in Western markets.
While the Red Sea tension has caused shipping rates to the US and Europe to skyrocket, closer markets, such as Korea, are also of interest to many businesses.
Notably, while Korea has reduced tuna imports from other countries, it has increased imports from Vietnam.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first two months of 2026, Vietnam’s exports of fish cakes and surimi exceeded USD 45 million, up 7% compared to the same period in 2025, indicating a positive outlook for this product segment amid recovering demand in many markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) During the week from April 4th to 10th, 2026, Quang Ngai province intensified its monitoring and law enforcement activities with the determination to eliminate illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing practices.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Thanh Hoa’s shrimp sector is undergoing a strong transformation by accelerating the adoption of high technology, helping to improve productivity, increase profits, and meet market demands. The province currently has about 4,100 hectares of shrimp farming, with output continuing to rise despite stable farming area, mainly due to the shift from traditional methods to intensive and super-intensive farming.
(vasep.com.vn) Amid ongoing volatility in global seafood trade, Vietnam’s crab exports have made a fairly positive start to 2026. According to Vietnam Customs statistics, export turnover in the first two months of 2026 reached nearly USD 55 million, up 24% compared to the same period in 2025 and more than 2.2 times higher than in the same period of 2024. This indicates that crab exports are entering 2026 with stronger growth momentum, particularly in Asian markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Da Nang City has fully implemented all recommendations from the European Commission (EC) regarding the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, creating an important foundation for the removal of the “yellow card” in the near future.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In Hoa Vang district (Da Nang City), red tilapia farming is demonstrating clear economic efficiency, becoming a promising livelihood that helps many households increase their income. A notable example is the model of Mr. Huynh Ngoc Nam, who operates two red tilapia ponds covering more than 4 hectares, generating stable annual income.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In Gia Vien district, tilapia farming—particularly the “duong nghiep” strain—is expanding rapidly and gradually becoming an efficient production model for local farmers. Hatcheries in the area are supplying high-quality, uniform, and disease-free fingerlings, meeting the growing demand for commercial farming.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On the afternoon of March 19, Vice Chairman of the Ca Mau Provincial People’s Committee, Le Van Su, chaired a meeting to address bottlenecks and propose solutions to expand the super-intensive whiteleg shrimp farming model using low water exchange and high biosecurity standards (RAS-IMTA).
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On March 10, 2026, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee issued Decision No. 1377/QD-UBND approving the Aquatic Animal Disease Prevention and Control Plan for the 2026–2030 period. The decision takes effect from the date of signing and replaces previous plans for the 2021–2030 period that had been issued prior to the administrative merger in Ba Ria – Vung Tau, Binh Duong, and Ho Chi Minh City.
(vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Chile imported more than USD 156 million worth of tuna, up 8.1% compared to the previous year and the highest level in the past five years. As the supply structure in this market is rapidly shifting, Vietnamese tuna is facing both opportunities to expand market share and increasing competitive pressure from Thailand, Colombia, and China.
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