Major markets remain sluggish
According to Vietnam Customs data, the United States continued to be Vietnam’s largest tuna import market in the first four months of 2026, with export turnover reaching USD 109 million, accounting for 38% of total exports. However, this figure was still down 10% year-on-year. The EU also remained weak, with imports reaching nearly USD 62 million, down 14%. These two key markets alone illustrate the considerable pressure still facing Vietnam’s tuna industry.
This development reflects a familiar reality: demand in major markets has not recovered evenly, while buyers are becoming increasingly cautious regarding prices, inventories, and delivery schedules. For exporters, these remain indispensable markets, but it is clear that maintaining growth momentum is no longer as easy as before.
Emerging growth markets gain traction
Looking more broadly, the tuna export story is not entirely gloomy. Russia has emerged strongly, with exports reaching USD 19 million in the first four months of the year, up 55% year-on-year. Japan imported USD 13 million worth of Vietnamese tuna, up 8%. Exports to Israel increased by 20%, the Philippines by 17%, and Egypt by as much as 69%. Regionally, exports to the Middle East rose 18%, while CPTPP markets increased 10%.
These figures indicate a more pronounced market divergence. While traditional markets are growing slowly, several other destinations are creating new opportunities, particularly for companies that move faster in developing new customers, diversifying products, and exploring niche markets.
Frozen and canned tuna remain the core products
In terms of product structure, fresh, frozen, and dried tuna products under HS03 remained the main export category, reaching USD 169 million, accounting for 59% of total export turnover and posting a slight 1% increase compared to the same period in 2025. Meanwhile, processed tuna products under HS16 reached USD 120 million, down 12%. However, canned tuna still recorded a 1% increase, showing that convenient, standardized, and easy-to-consume products are maintaining stronger momentum than many other processed categories.
This is an important signal for exporters. In a context where buyers prioritize stability and cost control, familiar and convenient products suitable for mass consumption continue to demonstrate stronger resilience.
Global demand remains stable, but competition intensifies
According to ITC data, global tuna imports in 2025 increased by 8% compared to 2024. This suggests that global tuna demand is not shrinking and may even be showing signs of recovery.
However, growing markets do not necessarily mean all exporters will benefit equally. As total global imports increase, competition among suppliers becomes fiercer. Growth opportunities will increasingly favor companies offering competitive pricing, stable supply, reliable delivery schedules, and stronger compliance with traceability, quality, and certification requirements.
In other words, the key issue is no longer simply whether there is market demand, but whether companies are targeting the right market segments. Within the same market, suitable products can still secure a position, while less competitive products can easily be replaced.
In the short term, the US and EU will remain essential markets to monitor closely, though strong growth is unlikely in the near future. Meanwhile, Russia, the Middle East, Japan, North Africa, and several CPTPP markets may continue to provide additional growth opportunities for Vietnam’s tuna exports.
Vietnam’s tuna exports in the coming months are therefore unlikely to follow a uniform growth trajectory. The US and EU may remain sluggish, while growth markets such as the Middle East, Russia, Japan, and niche destinations are expected to play a key role in sustaining export momentum. For businesses, the most important challenge now may not simply be selling more products, but choosing the right markets, the right products, and the right timing to maintain competitiveness.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports to Colombia continued their strong upward momentum in May 2026. Export value to the market reached USD 4 million, up 24% compared to the same month in 2025. Cumulative exports in the first five months of 2026 totaled USD 24 million, an impressive 48% increase year-on-year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Hai Phong's aquaculture sector is accelerating the adoption of high technologies in aquaculture to adapt to climate change, with red tilapia and tilapia identified as the key cultured species for priority development.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached nearly US$1.1 billion in June 2026, up 21.0% year-on-year. Cumulative exports in the first half of 2026 totaled nearly US$5.8 billion, representing a 12.8% increase compared with the same period last year. Exports to China and Hong Kong continued to accelerate, while shipments to the United States rebounded strongly in June. In contrast, exports to the EU, Japan, and the Middle East remained sluggish or recorded slight declines.
(vasep.com.vn) Tilapia is playing an increasingly important role in Vietnam’s aquaculture sector, driven not only by growing market opportunities but also by its ability to meet increasingly stringent requirements on quality, food safety, and traceability. In practice, tilapia farming in Vietnam is not a spontaneous or loosely regulated activity; rather, it operates under a comprehensive legal and technical framework covering the entire value chain—from hatcheries and farming to processing and exports.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached USD 1.9 billion in the first five months of 2026, up 12% compared with the same period last year. Amid continued volatility in the global seafood market, this result demonstrates that the shrimp sector has maintained positive growth momentum, supported by improving demand in several Asian markets, particularly China.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On June 16, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Ca Mau Province announced that the locality has established a farming area code for nearly 30,400 hectares of mud crab aquaculture and granted export facility codes to five enterprises eligible to export mud crab officially to markets such as China, Cambodia, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The United States remains one of the largest export markets for Vietnamese pangasius. In the first four months of 2026, pangasius exports to the US reached USD 106 million, up 4% compared to the same period in 2025. In April 2026 alone, export value totaled USD 38 million, marking a 20% year-on-year increase and the first positive growth recorded after an extended period of decline.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) While Vietnam’s shrimp exports to many major markets continued to post positive growth in the first months of 2026, exports to the United States declined, highlighting growing competitive pressures and trade barriers facing the Vietnamese shrimp industry.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Egypt is emerging as one of the most promising destinations for Vietnamese tuna exports in 2026. During the first four months of the year, export turnover to this market exceeded USD 7.3 million, marking a sharp increase compared to the same period over the previous two years. As Egypt’s tuna imports continue to recover and demand for canned tuna remains strong, the market is becoming increasingly attractive for Vietnamese tuna processors and exporters.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) During the first four months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to CPTPP member countries reached nearly USD 128 million, accounting for 18% of the country’s total pangasius export value and increasing by 21% compared to the same period in 2025. Demand patterns varied significantly across the bloc: Mexico primarily imported fresh and frozen pangasius products, while Japan and Canada recorded substantial shares of processed products. Australia remained focused on frozen fillets but continued to maintain a portion of processed imports.
VASEP - HIỆP HỘI CHẾ BIẾN VÀ XUẤT KHẨU THỦY SẢN VIỆT NAM
Chịu trách nhiệm: Ông Nguyễn Hoài Nam - Phó Tổng thư ký Hiệp hội
Đơn vị vận hành trang tin điện tử: Trung tâm VASEP.PRO
Trưởng Ban Biên tập: Bà Phùng Thị Kim Thu
Giấy phép hoạt động Trang thông tin điện tử tổng hợp số 138/GP-TTĐT, ngày 01/10/2013 của Bộ Thông tin và Truyền thông
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 – (ext.203); email: kimthu@vasep.com.vn
Trụ sở: Số 7 đường Nguyễn Quý Cảnh, Phường An Phú, Quận 2, Tp.Hồ Chí Minh
Tel: (+84) 28.628.10430 - Fax: (+84) 28.628.10437 - Email: vasephcm@vasep.com.vn
VPĐD: số 10, Nguyễn Công Hoan, Ngọc Khánh, Ba Đình, Hà Nội
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 - Fax: (+84 24) 37715084 - Email: vasephn@vasep.com.vn
