After growing rapidly in the first 4 months of the year, Vietnam's canned tuna exports have been continuously declining since May. In August 2023 alone, the export value of canned tuna decreased by 13%, reaching nearly 22 million USD. However, thanks to good growth in the first months of the year, the cumulative export turnover in the first 8 months still increased by 19% over the same period in 2023, reaching more than 196 million USD.

Currently, Vietnam's canned tuna products have been exported to 74 countries around the world. Of which, the US, Israel, Germany, the Netherlands and Lebanon are the 5 single markets that import the most canned tuna from Vietnam, accounting for more than 61% of the total export value.

By the end of August 2024, canned tuna exports to these markets, except for the Netherlands, all increased compared to the same period. However, Customs statistics show that canned tuna exports to the two largest import markets, the US and the EU, have been continuously decreasing over the past 4 months.

According to businesses, the period of canned tuna export decline is also the period when Decree 37/2024/ND-CP took effect, forcing businesses to stop purchasing domestically exploited striped fish from fishermen because they could not ensure 100% of the size was half a meter or more; Most fishing ports have now stopped certifying raw materials (S/C papers) for skipjack tuna shipments because the size of the fish caught is smaller than the regulations of Decree 37. Enterprises must take advantage of raw material inventory to meet export needs.

Currently, the raw material inventory has run out, and the problems with implementing the regulations on the minimum size allowed for exploitation of skipjack tuna under Decree 37 have not been resolved.

In addition, the Red Sea Crisis has caused transportation costs to Europe and the US to increase sharply. Specifically, according to a report from the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM), transportation costs from Vietnam to Europe have increased 3-5 times, and to the US they have also increased by 70-88%. Not only that, the long transportation time has also caused a shortage of empty containers, making the circulation of goods more difficult. This is directly affecting the competitiveness of Vietnamese tuna businesses in the international market.

Difficulties pile on difficulties, so Vietnam's canned tuna exports in the last months of the year are expected to not recover.

In this situation, businesses hope that the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development will direct the amendment and supplementation of regulations on minimum exploitation size in Appendix V3 of Decree 37 for skipjack tuna (migratory species) as soon as possible and most appropriately.

Source: VASEP