Exporters rejoice at surging tuna orders in January
Tuna exporters in the central provinces of Khanh Hoa, Binh Dinh and Phu Yen said the number of tuna orders from the US, Canada, Brazil and Columbia in January rose significantly as compared to the same time last year.
As orders increased by four to five times, tuna export prices also climb by up to 30% over the previous month.
Last year, Vietnamese tuna appeared ideally placed to take advantage of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), with shipments rising 0.5% year-on-year to US$126 million during January-November.
According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), tuna exports to Italy, Germany, and Spain rose 60%, 20%, and 41%, respectively.
Under the agreement, which came into effect on August 1, the EU has eliminated tariffs on fresh and frozen Vietnamese tuna, with 11,500 tonnes of canned tuna and 500 tonnes of canned fish balls benefiting from the exemption annually.
The bloc also removes tariffs on frozen tenderloin and fillets under a three-year roadmap, and on steamed tenderloin and fillets under a seven-year roadmap.