AsemconnectVietnam - Tuna exports are experiencing a slowdown with many dark tones from major markets, but the EU and Egypt have emerged as important bright spots.

The overall picture of the industry shows that major challenges are intertwined with new opportunities, requiring Vietnamese businesses to quickly adjust their business strategies to adapt in a timely manner.
Vietnam's tuna exports in the first 10 months of 2025 reached 791 million USD, down slightly by 4% compared to the same period of 2024.
According to Vietnam Customs data, in the first 10 months of 2025, tuna exports reached 791 million USD, down by 4% compared to the same period of 2024. However, emerging markets and the European region have shown remarkable signs of recovery as turnover increased steadily in the last months of the year.
In particular, the EU continued to be the "support" when reaching nearly 15 million USD in October, up by 16%. In particular, exports to the Netherlands and Italy grew "exponentially" at a three-digit rate, contributing to the total turnover in 10 months to the EU reaching nearly 175 million USD, up by 4%. Purchasing power from Europe shows that demand is gradually improving, in line with the trend of prioritizing products with clear origin and sustainability certification.
The most prominent bright spot is Egypt - which is not a traditional market. This country recorded an impressive growth of 128%, reaching nearly 21 million USD and rising to the top 8 largest import markets of Vietnam. This is a clear demonstration of the efforts of Vietnamese enterprises to diversify markets and find new space in the context of increasingly fierce competition.
In the CPTPP bloc, exports to Mexico and Chile recovered in October with increases of 51% and 16%, respectively. However, the figures of 10-month period of 2025 still decreased by 4% and 29% due to the sharp decline in previous months. Exports to Canada and Japan decreased slightly in October, by 4% and 33% respectively.
In the US market - which accounted for more than 37% of total export turnover in the 10-month period of 2025 - reached nearly 294 million USD, down by 8%. The reason is that the tightening consumption trend, high inventory and new reciprocal tax rates make Vietnamese products less competitive than those of Thailand, Indonesia or Ecuador.
Markets such as Israel and Russia are also constantly fluctuating due to geopolitical conflicts and exchange rates, although October recorded a positive signal when exports to Russia increased by 23%.
Tuna industry faces big challenges, needs new strategy
Vietnam currently exploits more than 200,000 tonnes of tuna per year, of which skipjack tuna accounts for over 50% of total resources. Tuna reserves are estimated at more than 600 thousand tons, mainly in the Central and East Seas. Vietnamese tuna products have been exported to more than 100 markets, with the United States, EU, Middle East and CPTPP accounting for 82-86% of total turnover.
The most prominent bright spot is Egypt - which is not a traditional export market of Vietnam.
In the period 2019-2023, tuna exports increased from 719 million USD to 845 million USD, achieving an average growth rate of 3%/year. In 2024, the turnover reached 989 million USD, an increase of 17% compared to 2023 and nearly reaching the 1 billion USD mark. The proportion of tuna in total seafood turnover increased from 8.4% in 2019 to 9.9% in 2024, affirming the role of a high-value commodity group.
However, the industry still faces many challenges, such as unstable domestic supply, heavily dependent on imports; increased logistics costs and IUU control requirements; strict sustainability certification requirements from the EU, the US, and Japan. The price of Thai raw materials has decreased since September of 2025, helping to increase new contracts, but competitive pressure remains high as competitors enjoy lower reciprocal taxes.
In particular, from August 7, 2025, the US will apply new reciprocal taxes for each country. The tax gap between Vietnam and Thailand, Indonesia, and Ecuador significantly reduces the advantage of Vietnamese products. In addition, the complicated geopolitical situation in Russia, Israel, and Chile continues to disrupt demand.
According to expert Nguyen Ha, Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), the outlook for the fourth quarter of 2025 is generally difficult to recover. To maintain growth, businesses need to invest more heavily in traceability systems, transparent supply chains and Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification - factors that are prioritized by EU retailers.
At the same time, it is necessary to increase added value through high-end processed products, standard loins, convenient packaged products or private labels to avoid pure price competition.
It can be affirmed that market diversification is considered a long-term direction. In addition to the EU, Vietnamese businesses should exploit deeper into the Asian region such as China, ASEAN, Japan, and South Korea - markets with stable demand. At the same time, closely follow the export strategies of Ecuador or China to adjust prices, optimize costs and strengthen sustainable brands.
CK
Source: VITIC/ haiquanonline.com.vn