Germany–lucrative market for tuna exports
(VOV) - Germany has consistently remained the largest consumer of Vietnamese tuna within the European Union and the second single largest in the world over the past three years.
The Vietnamese Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) reports that tuna exports to Germany tripled in the last five years to US$43 million in 2013, accounting for 8% of Vietnam’s total tuna export value.
Although exports of canned tuna to the US – the world’s largest importer – have trended downward, export growth to Germany has seen steady incremental improvement.
Currently, Germany imports tuna from 42 countries worldwide, including four ASEAN countries – the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia.
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ASEAN’s tuna exports have faced difficulties in recent years on the back of material shortage and changes in the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP). However, Vietnamese tuna export businesses have managed to maneuver around these problems and exports have continued to inch their way upwards.
After experiencing a temporary decline in 2010, Vietnamese tuna exports quickly rebounded to surpass Thailand and Indonesia and currently rank fifth out of 42 exporters to Germany, lagging behind the Philippines, Ecuador, Papua New Guinea and the Netherlands.
The Philippines, Vietnam and Ecuador are now engaged in fierce price competition in the German market. Yet, despite the price competition, leading market analysts are optimistic about Vietnam’s increased export quality and output.
Germany is the largest and most buoyant economy in Europe and has firmly cemented its position as an economic powerhouse, they say, adding that the country is a gateway to other EU countries and the world for tuna exports.