Vietnam’s tuna exports passed $1 billion on December 21 and a figure of $1.03 billion is expected for the year as a whole, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) has said..

According to VASEP, tuna exports have posted strong growth over recent years, rising from $651 million in 2018 to $733 million in 2021. The first three quarters of 2022 saw year-on-year growth of 55 per cent, fetching $808 million.

After months of steady increases despite inflation, Vietnam’s tuna exports slowed in October and November. The year-to-date figure, however, was $948 million as of November 31, an increase of 41 per cent year-on-year.

Vietnam’s top 5 tuna markets are the US, Canada, Japan, Israel, and Saudi Arabia.

According to VASEP, frozen tuna products again accounted for the largest share of total turnover in the first eleven months of 2022, earning $631 million, up 72 per cent year-on-year. Canned tuna exports brought in $157 million, down 3 per cent year-on-year, while other processed tuna products posted revenue of $161 million, up 23 per cent.