Since May, tuna exports to Spain have decreased continuously. However, exports to this market showed signs of recovery in the last quarter of the year when it increased by 33% in October and this growth continued in the first half of November with an increase of 112%.
Spain is currently the largest tuna importer in the EU and the second largest tuna import market of Vietnam. In the first 9 months of 2022, Spain's tuna imports increased compared to the same period in 2021, and nearly as before the pandemic. Spanish importers are tending to increase tuna imports from external sources. In the context of high inflation causing consumers to tighten their spending, Spanish producers try to lower production costs by finding cheap supply with preferential tariff.
Vietnam tuna exports to Spain increase at the end of the year
Spain is currently importing mainly frozen tuna meat/loin HS code 0304 and frozen steamed tuna loin HS code 16 from Vietnam, accounting for 55% and 44% respectively. According to the agreement in the Free Trade Agreement between the EU and Vietnam (EVFTA), Vietnam's frozen tuna meat/loin products exported to the EU will have tariffs eliminated in 4 years from 18%. Currently, these products exported to the EU are being taxed at 4.5%. With this tax rate, Vietnam's competitiveness is lower than products enjoying preferential tariffs from Ecuador, Mexico, PNG or Mauritius.
In the processed tuna segment, frozen steamed tuna loin products with HS code 16 are being tax exempt according to the quota of 11,500 tons/year. These products can't compete with cheap Chinese products, or Ecuador's duty free.
One of the reasons why tuna exports to Spain increased at the end of the year was due to a sharp increase in exports of frozen steamed tuna loins with HS code 16. These shipments to Spain will be stored in bonded warehouses and will be cleared as soon as the preferential tariff quotas under EVFTA are restarted in early 2023.
Currently, there are more than 15 enterprises participating in exporting tuna to the Spanish market. Bidifisco, Tuna Vietnam and Nha Trang Bay are the 3 largest tuna exporters in this market, accounting for nearly 84%.
Compiled by Thuy Linh
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On the afternoon of August 19, 2026, as part of the Vietnam International Seafood Exhibition – Vietfish 2026, the Hosted Buyer Program continued with the seminar “Vietnam Seafood Outlook 2026–2027: A Strategic Sourcing Destination,” followed by 1-to-1 B2B meetings between international buyers and Vietnamese seafood businesses.
(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.
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