Iran adds to demand for Vietnamese tuna

Viet Nam exported 43,430 tonnes of tuna in the first half of the year, earning US$220 million, an increase of 10.1 per cent in volume and 33.1 per cent in value, according to the Viet Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

VASEP expert Nguyen Minh Tam said that tuna exports to Iran had reached high growth rates in both volume and value, but that the average prices based on these exports were still lower than those associated with the top 10 largest importers of Vietnamese tuna.

In the first six months of 2011, Iran imported 4,565 tonnes of Vietnamese tuna, valued at nearly $7 million, an increase of 347 per cent in volume and 435 per cent in value.

Tuna exported to Norway also shot up, reaching 4,000 tonnes, valued at $15.3 million, an increase of 20.2 per cent.

Average export prices during the first six months of the year hit $4.16 per kilo, 20 per cent higher than that last year.

Meanwhile, tuna exports to the US remained stable at 1,000 tonnes, valued at $6.5 million, an increase of 40.4 per cent in value and 19.6 per cent in volume.

Viet Nam managed to export 840 tonnes of tuna, valued at $3 million, to the EU. During June, tuna exports to Germany accounted for 40 per cent of the country’s total export turnover, making it Viet Nam’s largest partner in the European market with the average export prices set at over $3 per kilo, a 13 per cent increase compared to the $2.68 per kilo of last year.

Since the beginning of this year, eight Vietnamese enterprises managed to export tuna to Germany, earning $7.8 million on the back of nearly 3,000 tonnes, an increase of 41.6 per cent in value. Canned tuna made $6.7 million while tuna based material hit over $1 million.

Despite positive growth, Vietnamese exports are set to face challenges in accessing the EU market during coming months with the implementation of exploitation certificates related to marine resources, according to enterprise representatives.

The Viet Nam Fishery Association plans to set up an organisation for the supervision and protection of tuna fishing in order to improve the competitiveness of Viet Nam’s tuna products while protecting the interests of tuna producers. — VNS

Tags: vietnam tuna exports