Lithuania is currently ranked 79th among the world’s largest economies and 36th in the list of wealthiest countries, with an annual GDP per capita of approximately USD 23,723, equivalent to USD 66.45 billion. Each year, Lithuania spends about USD 650 million on seafood imports.
According to ITC statistics, Lithuania is the 12th largest seafood importer in the EU, accounting for 1.2% of the EU’s total seafood import value. In 2022, Vietnam was the 6th largest seafood supplier to Lithuania from outside the EU, accounting for 3.54% of Lithuania’s total seafood import value.
Data from Vietnam Customs show that Vietnam’s tuna export value to this market surged from USD 229 thousand in 2021 to nearly USD 16 million in 2024—an increase of 69 times. In the first five months of 2025 alone, tuna export turnover to Lithuania doubled year-on-year, reaching over USD 8 million.
Frozen tuna meat/loin products (HS code 0304) are the main exports to this market, accounting for 98% of total tuna export value.
Lithuania has been a member of the European Union since 2004. Within the cooperation framework between Vietnam and the EU, legal mechanisms have been established to support economic, trade, and investment collaboration between Vietnam and EU member states. Notably, on June 11–12, 2025, the President of the Republic of Lithuania, Gitanas Nausėda, and his spouse visited Hanoi—marking the first high-level state visit by a Lithuanian head of state to Vietnam in many years. This visit was a highly significant diplomatic event, reflecting the two countries’ commitment to their traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation, while also opening a new chapter in bilateral relations amid a rapidly changing global context filled with both opportunities and challenges.
In addition, at the seminar titled “75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Central and Eastern European countries: strengthening relationship, enhancing cooperation, looking to the future,” Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha outlined five key tasks to elevate Vietnam–CEE relations to a new level. Among them is the need to boost economic cooperation and leverage the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) to achieve an annual trade growth rate of 10%.
As such, the current expansion of tuna exports to Lithuania by Vietnamese enterprises is on the right track and holds significant potential for growth in the near future. However, to fully realize this potential, businesses are still awaiting the Government’s swift resolution of issues related to Decree 37/2024/NĐ-CP, which provides guidelines for implementing the 2017 Fisheries Law—particularly concerning minimum harvesting sizes and regulations prohibiting mixing of catches. Timely issuance of an amended Decree 37/2024/NĐ-CP would help address difficulties faced by enterprises and fishermen, thus unlocking domestic tuna supply and creating favorable conditions for exporters to take advantage of preferential terms under various Free Trade Agreements (FTAs).
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Nearly US$1.7 billion is the projected gap in 2029 between the baseline scenario and a scenario in which Vietnam’s seafood exports grow by 10% annually, according to calculations by VASEP to be presented at Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026. This gap raises a key question for the entire industry: Which markets, products and supply chain improvements will generate the additional growth?
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Although Germany’s tuna imports have declined, Vietnam’s tuna exports to the market continue to show positive signs. Notably, export value recovered strongly in Q3/2026, and German import data also show Vietnamese products strengthening their position amid competition among suppliers.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood exports are holding double-digit growth, but the opportunities are not spread evenly across product groups and markets. As businesses draw up their plans for 2027, Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS2026) offers a chance to look ahead together: what to sell, where to sell it, and how to prepare for growth in the coming years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) With less than two weeks to go, the Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026) will officially take place in Can Tho. Under the theme “Seafood Market Outlook 2027–2029 – Opportunities and Potential for Double-Digit Export Growth,” the Summit is organized by VASEP at a time when seafood businesses are facing rapid market shifts, changing buyer demand, trade policy changes and growing competitive pressure all at once.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On October 28, 2026, the China Fisheries & Seafood Expo opened in Qingdao, China. The expo takes place over three days from October 28 to 30, 2026. This is a prestigious specialized seafood exhibition organized annually by Sea Fare Exposition Inc.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first nine months of 2026, Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the CPTPP bloc reached $7 million, marking a 51% year-on-year increase. The bloc rstands as the fourth-largest market for Vietnamese tilapia, trailing Brazil, the US, and Saudi Arabia.
(vasep.com.vn) VASEP has officially announced the program for Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026), featuring five in-depth sessions covering industry outlooks, trade barriers, buyer demand, the domestic market, and solutions to improve productivity and reduce costs across the seafood value chain.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached US$3.7 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 11% year on year. Although growth has been supported by China and several markets within the CPTPP, momentum is slowing as exports to the United States and the European Union decline. Tariff pressures, international competition, and raw material challenges are creating significant hurdles for exporters in the final months of the year.
(vasep.com.vn) Markets are changing faster, buyer requirements are becoming more demanding, and trade barriers are growing increasingly complex. In this environment, seafood businesses need more than an understanding of current market conditions. They need a longer-term perspective to answer a critical question: Where will growth opportunities come from in 2027–2029, and what should businesses do now to prepare? This is one of the key reasons why VASEP is organizing Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East reached US$113 million, up 7% year on year from the same period in 2025. Growth has become more pronounced in recent months. In August alone, exports to the region totaled US$20 million, an increase of 24%. This indicates that demand for Vietnamese pangasius in the Middle East is gradually recovering after a slowdown in March, although the pace of recovery varies across markets.
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