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Thai Tuna Without Tariffs: A Blow to European Sustainability?

EUROPEAN UNION
Wednesday, April 02, 2025, 05:40 (GMT + 9)

The European fishing sector, represented by Europêche and the Spanish CEPESCA, has expressed deep concern over the commencement of negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the European Union (EU) and Thailand. The industry fears that the approval of this treaty will allow the massive entry of tariff-free Thai tuna, which they consider unfair competition and a threat to the European model of sustainable fishing.

Thailand, the world's largest producer and exporter of canned tuna, with approximately 470,000 tons annually, currently exports 10,000 tons to the EU market, subject to a 24% tariff. The elimination of this tariff, as a result of the FTA, could trigger a significant increase in imports, jeopardizing the viability of the European tuna fleet, internationally recognized for its high standards of sustainability and responsibility.

The European fleet operates under strict quotas, continuous monitoring systems (VMS), scientific observers on board, and demanding control regulations. Additionally, it holds certifications such as the MSC label and Responsible Fishing Tuna (APR), promoted by the Spanish tuna fleet and certified by AENOR. These high standards imply high operating costs, making it difficult to compete with foreign fleets that operate under less demanding conditions.

Xavier Leduc, president of the Europêche tuna group, warns that "tuna loins and cans processed in Thailand, from Asian fisheries with low standards, pose a direct threat to our sustainable fleets." Eliminating tariffs, he adds, "would further deepen this imbalance and undermine any possibility of fair competition."

The sector also denounces the structural deficiencies of the Thai fishing and processing system, which sources tuna from countries with opaque sustainability and sanitary control practices, and has not implemented the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 188 on work in fishing. Furthermore, the European Commission's (EC) latest audit in 2023 revealed serious and persistent failures in food health and safety.

Europêche calls on the EC to explicitly exclude tuna products from the FTA and maintain strict rules of origin, as the only way to guarantee the survival of the European tuna sector and preserve fairness in the single market. Anne-France Mattlet, director of the Europêche Tuna Group, points out that "with current regulations, the EU cannot legally block the entry of low-standard tuna, but what it must not do under any circumstances is allow its tariff-free entry."

The European tuna sector, in addition to its global leadership in sustainability, generates thousands of jobs in coastal regions dependent on fishing. Its dismantling, in favor of imported products without equivalent guarantees, would compromise food sovereignty, sanitary security, and the territorial cohesion of the EU.

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