(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam's tuna exports fell sharply in QI/2015 due to lower global prices combined with weak market demand. In QII, exports to some markets showing positive signs.
However, total tuna exports to the end of May were down 8.2% from the same period last year with a value of over US$ 187.2 million.
Sales to the US, the largest consumer market of Vietnam tuna, reached US$76.3 million, up 10%. Supply from Thailand to the US dropped which leads to increased tuna import from Vietnam. Thailand is currently the largest fish supplier to the US, however statistics from the International Trade Center (ITC) show that Thailand tuna imports into the US in the first 4 months decreased by 12.2% while imports from Vietnam increased by 5.4%.
Although exports to the EU fell 21.2% but exports to Spain in the first 5 months of this year rose 81.8% to US$ 7.1 million and it became the second largest importer after Germany in this block.
During the first 5 months also witnessed a strong growth in exports to ASEAN and Mexico. Tuna exports to Russia also increased strongly with 174.4% and the market is considered as a potential market for Vietnam tuna this year and for coming years thanks to signed FTA by Vietnam – Eurasian Economic Union with commitments of zero duty for many Vietnamese seafood products imported into the region.
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Tuna Imports by The US (Value: US thousand)
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|
Countries
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T1-T4/2014
|
T1-T4/2015
|
2015/2014
|
|
World
|
487,112
|
504,530
|
3.6
|
|
Thailand
|
158,121
|
138,837
|
-12.2
|
|
Indonesia
|
37,291
|
55,148
|
47.9
|
|
Ecuador
|
37,622
|
41,554
|
10.5
|
|
China
|
30,766
|
44,142
|
43.5
|
|
Vietnam
|
38,946
|
41,052
|
5.4
|
|
Philippines
|
37,274
|
35,366
|
-5.1
|
|
Mauritius
|
17,888
|
16,954
|
-5.2
|
|
Fiji
|
20,073
|
29,611
|
47.5
|
|
Maldives
|
11,938
|
12,141
|
1.7
|
|
Sri Lanka
|
15,628
|
13,604
|
-13.0
|
|
Trinidad and Tobago
|
7,341
|
7,354
|
0.2
|
|
Mexico
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13,742
|
12,054
|
-12.3
|
|
Tây Ban Nha
|
10,550
|
6,501
|
-38.4
|
|
Costa Rica
|
5,407
|
5,346
|
-1.1
|
|
Colombia
|
4,985
|
6,129
|
22.9
|