Tuna exporters in Vietnam achieved total sales of USD 60.7 million (EUR 53.6 million) in the opening two months of this year, down four percent year-on-year, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).
A growth in exports in January was not enough to offset a significant slump in trade last month. Overall, the Southeast Asian country’s tuna exports declined 21 percent in value in February to USD 24 million (EUR 21.2 million).
In volume terms, total exports for January and February 2016 were down marginally at 2,929 metric tons (MT).
Vietnamese tuna exports to the United States – its No. 1 market – fell to USD 21.5 million (EUR 19 million) for the two-month period, including a 36 percent drop in February.
Its exports to the EU increased by 7 percent last month to USD 7.3 million (EUR 6.4 million), but were still down 11.5 percent for the first two months of the year to USD 15 million (EUR 13.3 million).
However, there was an 11 percent increase in Vietnam’s tuna exports to ASEAN countries in January and February, with the trade worth USD 6.9 million (EUR 6.1 million).
Vietnam’s annual tuna landings average more than 200,000 MT, comprising skipjack, yellowfin and bigeye. Skipjack is its main catch and is caught year-round, while yellowfin and bigeye are caught in the six months between December and June.
