Tuna exports to China increase sharply

Tuna exports to China have grown strongly, although many markets of Vietnamese tuna were affected by the Covid-19 epidemic.

Compared to last year, tuna exports to China increased by 63% in the first eight months of 2021. Photo: TL.

According to VASEP, in the first eight months of 2021, Vietnam's total value of tuna exports to China reached US$ 3.6 million, up 63% over the same period last year.

China is one of the few markets with good growth of Vietnamese tuna, although exports to this country also face many difficulties because of the Covid-19.

Specifically, from the end of May 2021, Zhanjiang - one of the largest transshipment hubs in China, announced to suspend the import of frozen food from significant seafood producing countries, including India, Vietnam, Thailand, and eight other Asian countries, from June 20 to July 15, 2021. The reason is that there were cases of Covid-19 infection in cities such as Guangzhou, Foshan, Shenzhen, Zhanjiang, Maoming.

In addition, the outbreak of the 4th Covid-19 wave in Vietnam from the end of July has caused Vietnam's tuna exports to China to drop down from the beginning of the third quarter.

According to the General Department of Vietnam Customs, China has promoted imports of meat, frozen tuna fillets, and canned tuna from Vietnam. Frozen tuna meat and fillets accounted for 66% of the total tuna exports to China value, followed by canned tuna at 19%.

China imports a lot of tuna species, including frozen whole skipjack tuna purchased by tuna factories, accounting for the most significant proportion. Most tuna loin is exported to EU canning factories under an annual autonomous tariff quota (0%). Canned skipjack or other tuna products came in second, followed by frozen skipjack tuna.

In 2020, due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, China's domestic demand for preserved products increased. As a result, the country's canned tuna imports increased by 71% compared to 2019, reaching 7,320 tonnes. However, experts expected the country's canned tuna imports to decrease, but they will still be higher than in 2019. As a result, in the first half of 2021, China's canned tuna imports only reached 2,218 tonnes.