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 | |
Sao Ta Foods (stock code: FMC) has set a target to sell 22,000 metric tons of shrimp this year and has outlined a proactive strategy to address risks related to anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations in the U.S. market.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s exports of shelled mollusks recorded impressive growth in the first two months of 2025, reaching USD 41 million—an increase of 132% compared to the same period in 2024 (USD 18 million).
According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), in the first two months of 2025, Vietnam's shrimp exports recorded positive signs with strong growth in a number of important markets, of which lobster exports to China increased sharply.
In recent years, the agricultural and environmental sectors and localities in the province have created favorable conditions to develop and effectively maintain seafood chains, increasing income for people in rural areas.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to Vietnam Customs, the country’s pangasius exports regained growth momentum in February 2025. Export value reached USD 150 million, marking a 66% increase compared to February 2024. Cumulative pangasius export revenue for the first two months of the year totaled USD 284 million, up 11% year-on-year.
Minh Phu Seafood Corp, one of the leading enterprises in shrimp processing and export, is actively promoting cooperation with shrimp farmers to develop the shrimp industry in Ca Mau.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2024, Vietnam’s tuna exports to the Middle East continued their impressive growth, rising by 28% compared to 2023. The Middle East is now emerging as one of Vietnam’s top four tuna export markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Recently, the price of Pangasius in the Mekong Delta has increased significantly, making fishermen very excited. However, looking at the overall picture of this industry, the rise in Pangasius prices is not just an opportunity, but also comes with many challenges.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Dishes made from fish, especially pangasius, have become common and are found in nearly all restaurants, hotels, and banquets in Pakistan.
Looking back at the period from 2022 to 2024, crab exports to China have shown significant fluctuations. In 2022, China imported over 62 million USD worth of crabs, averaging 5-9 million USD per month, indicating a stable import demand from China. However, in 2023, exports sharply dropped to 13.3 million USD, averaging only 1-2 million USD per month, due to China's tighter quarantine controls and weakening consumption demand.
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