According to statistics of Vietnam Customs, Vietnamese export turnover to the EU reached $144m in 2021, a growth of 6.4% compared to the previous year. Although yearly export value records an expansion, some monthly statistics did show a downward trend compared to 2020, especially for the last few months of the year when Covid-19 broke out.
In 2021, Vietnam was the 7th largest supplier of tuna for EU markets, following Ecuador, Seychelles, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, China, and Mauritius. Due to the costly ocean freight costs in 2021, there was a shrink in the EU’s imports of tuna from Asian countries, namely China, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand, in contrast to the rising imports from African or Central American countries like Seychelles, El Salvador, and Ecuador.
Moving on to 2022, Vietnamese tuna exports to most countries in the EU have recovered. Export turnover of January 2022 approximated $15m, almost doubled that for January 2021. Exports to many markets recorded a surging growth rate of 3 to 4 digits, including Lithuania (at 1,938%), Netherlands (at 243%), Belgium (at 215%), etc.
It is expected that the upward trend of tuna exports to the EU will continue for this year. As the economies of the Euro are growing strongly again and reaching the same size as the end of 2019 - the time before the Covid-19 pandemic, it has boosted the demand for tuna in recovering EU countries. In addition, the tariff preferences as agreed in the Free Trade Agreement between Vietnam and the EU (EVFTA) resumed in the first months of 2022 are creating a driving force to promote Vietnam's tuna exports to this market.
However, this year, due to the escalating conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Vietnamese tuna processing and exporting enterprises will continue to face challenges such as increased transportation costs and production costs (the price of preprocessed fish, sunflower oil, etc.) increased. These issues are expected to affect product prices and reduce the competitiveness of tuna enterprises in target markets such as the EU.
Currently, the whole country has 48 enterprises participating in exporting tuna to the EU market, in which Tuna Vietnam, Bidifisco, and Nha Trang Bay are the 3 largest tuna exporting companies to the EU market, accounting for 57% of the total tuna export value to this market in 2021.
| VIETNAMESE EXPORTS OF TUNA TO THE EU, JAN 2022 | ||||
| No | Market | Jan 2022 | % | Growth |
|
1 |
Netherlands |
3.478 |
23.3 |
242.8 |
|
2 |
Germany |
2.034 |
13.6 |
53.3 |
|
3 |
Lithuania |
1.499 |
10.0 |
1,937.50 |
|
4 |
Belgium |
1.456 |
9.7 |
215.2 |
|
5 |
Spain |
1.398 |
9.3 |
227.4 |
|
6 |
Italy |
1.318 |
8.8 |
-45.8 |
|
7 |
Rumania |
1.312 |
8.8 |
179.1 |
|
8 |
Croatia |
0.441 |
2.9 |
22.1 |
|
9 |
Denmark |
0.381 |
2.5 |
215.2 |
|
10 |
Sip |
0.379 |
2.5 |
|
|
11 |
France |
0.319 |
2.1 |
-15.8 |
|
12 |
Greece |
0.266 |
1.8 |
183.9 |
|
13 |
Portugal |
0.247 |
1.7 |
-45.6 |
|
14 |
Slovenia |
0.135 |
0.9 |
61.3 |
|
15 |
Sweden |
0.122 |
0.8 |
4.8 |
|
16 |
Czech |
0.121 |
0.8 |
214.3 |
|
17 |
Finland |
0.05 |
0.3 |
-43 |
| Total | 14.956 | 100 | 81.5 | |
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first three months of 2026, Vietnam’s exports of fish cake and surimi reached USD 63 million, down 5% compared to the same period last year. Although total export value declined slightly due to decreases in some key markets, many other destinations continued to post strong growth, opening up room for this convenience-oriented processed segment in the coming quarters.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Favorable weather conditions in the early months of 2026 have brought encouraging signs for fisheries activities in Quang Tri. Output has grown steadily, contributing to improved livelihoods for local residents.
Entering 2026, Vietnam’s seafood industry is facing a period of both high expectations and mounting pressures. Following the positive recovery in 2025, production and export activities in Q1/2026 demonstrated the strong adaptability of Vietnam’s seafood business community amid continued global trade volatility, intensifying international competition, and increasingly stringent compliance requirements in import markets.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first quarter of 2026, Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached USD 1.069 billion, up 17.5% compared to the same period in 2025. This is a positive result amid an uneven global shrimp market recovery, intensifying competition among major suppliers, and continued volatility in the international trade environment. However, this growth does not reflect a broad-based recovery across the entire sector, but rather is driven mainly by strong performance in a few markets and specific product segments—most notably lobster exports to China.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tuna exports continued to decline in March 2026. Cumulatively, in the first three months of the year, export value reached USD 208 million, down 4% compared to the same period in 2025. The export landscape shows clear divergence across markets: while the U.S. and EU remain challenging, markets such as Russia, the Middle East, Egypt, the Philippines, and Mexico have emerged as growth bright spots.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In Quang Ngai Province, shrimp farming costs are rising sharply due to लगातार increases in feed, fuel, and input material prices, while farm-gate shrimp prices are declining. This has significantly reduced farmers’ profit margins and increased production risks.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports are experiencing impressive growth, reflecting expanding global demand as well as the sector’s development potential. However, behind the strong growth figures lie limitations in production capacity and supply chains, highlighting the need for sustainable development in the coming period.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East in 2025 and early 2026 have shown notable growth. However, escalating geopolitical tensions in the region have increasingly impacted export activities since March. This situation presents a challenge of balancing market expansion opportunities with rising trade risks.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The Quang Tri Department of Agriculture and Environment has instructed localities to base their stocking schedules on actual conditions in each farming area, while developing plans, allocating resources, and implementing synchronized measures for disease prevention and disaster risk management in aquaculture production.
(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.
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