Tuna exports to Portugal have seen incredibly impressive growth.

According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Processing and Export (VASEP), in the first five months of 2013, tuna exports to Portugal saw impressive growth of 419% compared to the same period last year, and this country is one of the top 10 single markets importing Vietnamese tuna, with export value exceeding US$4 million.

Portugal has begun increasing its imports of tuna fillets after the EU raised the import quota for cooked tuna fillets from 15,000 tons to 22,000 tons with a 0% tariff for Asian countries. In the first five months of 2013, Portugal imported tuna fillets from Vietnam worth over US$2.5 million, an increase of over 941% compared to the same period last year and more than 1.4 times the total value for the whole year of 2012.



With these results, Vietnam ranks second only to Spain in exporting this product to Portugal. For fresh/frozen tuna, Vietnam's export value to Portugal also reached US$924.85 thousand, an increase of 67% compared to the same period last year.

This year, other processed tuna products from Vietnam under code 16 (excluding canned tuna) have also attracted more attention in Portugal, with export value reaching US$808,750, while canned tuna products have remained unpopular in this market for the past five years. Currently, Vietnam ranks fourth after Spain, Ecuador, and Indonesia among the countries exporting the most processed tuna to Portugal.

Given the current quality of tuna after harvest, it is predicted that the export value of cooked tuna fillets from Vietnam will continue to increase in the coming period. However, with the recent requirement from Earth Island for "Dolphin Safe" labeling, if the competent authorities do not quickly intervene to establish a certification process for businesses, the tuna industry will find it difficult to maintain its current growth rate and will affect the export target for the end of the year.

According to NNVN - HV