Tuna exports increase in quality

The tuna export structure has changed positively with the reduced percentage of processed tuna

According to the statistics from the General Statistics Office, Vietnamese tuna export markets have been expanded with the number increasing from 97 in 2014 to 106 at present.

According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), tuna exports reached almost US$342 million by the end of this September, an almost six percent drop from a year ago. However, the tuna export structure has changed positively with the reduced percentage of processed tuna and increased percentage of fresh, frozen and dried tuna. The price of fresh and frozen tuna is usually much higher, sometimes even 10 times more than the price of processed products.

Several Vietnamese tuna importing markets have grown notably both in terms of revenue and volume. For example, tuna exports to the US exceeded US$141 million in the first nine months of this year, a 10.3 percent increase from a year ago continuing to lead Vietnamese tuna importing markets. So far this year, the US has imported more fresh, live and frozen Vietnamese tuna than last year, with export revenues increasing by more than 19 percent in the first nine months of this year. Of this, tuna fillet exports grew the fastest by more than 55 percent.

The ASEAN market has been a spotlight. After a drop from June-July, tuna exports to ASEAN increased by 11 percent in September reaching almost US$4.7 million. Vietnamese total tuna exports to this market hit almost US$28 million in the first nine months of this year, an 8.6 percent increase from the same period last year. Vietnamese canned tuna exports to ASEAN countries have increased dramatically by 208 percent, while other kinds of processed tuna was up by almost 3 percent, and fresh, live and frozen tuna climbed by 23 percent.

According to VASEP, Vietnamese tuna exports have not yet recovered as much as expected since demand in the EU and Japan remains low. Among the top three importing markets in the EU, only Spain has increased Vietnamese tuna imports in the first nine months of this year becoming Vietnam’s second largest tuna importing country in the EU. Vietnamese tuna exports to Spain increased by 17 percent from September 2014 to September 2015 reaching US$301,000 and increasing total tuna exports to more than US$9.6 million in the first nine months of the year.

This year the price of ocean tuna has increased from last year averaging VND110,000 per kilo bringing more profits for fishermen.

To strongly develop ocean tuna fishing to ensure the quality of tuna exports, local authorities, ministries and business associations have drawn-up projects to provide more fishing tools and modern fishing technology for fishermen in order to further improve the quality of products and the efficiency of fishing.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has also issued Decision 3562 on a plan for ocean tuna fishing management in Vietnam.

Duy Minh