Vietnam tuna sales rose by 21%

Shipments of frozen tuna fillets/loins (HS code 0304) remained the large share of 48% in Vietnam's total tuna exports; followed by canned tuna with 30% and other processed tuna with 14%. Of that, the proportion of frozen tuna fillets/loins decreased while that of canned tuna increased compared to the same period of 2016. In the period, the export value of Vietnam tuna rose from a year before.

Currently, tuna products of Vietnam have been exported to more than 70 markets in the world. Top 8 leading buyers included the U.S, the EU, Israel, ASEAN, Japan, China, Mexico and Canada, accounting for 88, 5% of total export value.

The U.S continues to be Vietnam's largest tuna importer in the first 8 months of this year. Tuna exports to the market in the period reached US$148 million, up 15.5% over the same period in 2016. Earlier this year, tuna prices on the world market significantly climbed up, which made the U.S demand for tuna unstable and depend on price trends and available supplies in the US. Vietnam’s exports of frozen tuna fillets/loins kept the main proportion of 58% in total tuna exports to the market. In Jan-Aug 2017, Vietnam’s tuna sales to the U.S inched up on par with the same period last year, in which exports of canned tuna went up 41% and those of fresh/live/dried/frozen tuna rose by 3% year on year.

In Jan-Aug 2017, the EU held as the second biggest tuna importer of Vietnam, with the growth of 27% to eye US$81 million. Out of top 3 largest tuna buyers in the bloc, exports to Germany and Spain increased by 40% and 166%, respectively; while those to Italy dropped by 25%.

With the high growth of tuna imports from Vietnam, Israel overtook ASEAN to rank the third biggest tuna importing market of Vietnam in the first eight months of this year. Vietnam's tuna exports in the period to the country reached US$32 million, up 138% year on year. This year, Israel increased imports of canned tuna from Vietnam, while last year it boosted to imports of fresh/live/frozen/dried tuna. Vietnam was the second largest supplier of canned tuna to Israel behind Thailand. Meanwhile, Vietnam became the leading exporter of frozen tuna to the market and had almost no competitors.

In Jan-Aug 2017, Vietnam’s tuna exports to ASEAN hit US$25.6 million, decreasing by 13.2% year on year. Shipments of tuna products in the period fell compared to the same period, except for frozen tuna fillets/loins. This year, ASEAN countries tended to increase imports of raw tuna (frozen tuna loins/fillets) from Vietnam, up nearly 40% over the same period last year.

In the coming time, Vietnam’s tuna exports to markets expected to go on the positive growth, but for the EU and ASEAN.