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Photo: VASEP/FIS
Vietnamese Tuna Poised for '0% Tax' in the US: A Breakthrough Opportunity Amidst Stiff Challenges
VIET NAM
Wednesday, November 05, 2025, 07:00 (GMT + 9)
Trade Agreement Opens Door for Tariff Exemption, but IUU Compliance and Supply Chain Transparency are Essential for Success
Vietnam's export sector, particularly the tuna industry, has received a significant boost following an agreement with the US on a reciprocal, fair, and balanced trade framework. Reached during the 2025 ASEAN Summit in Malaysia, the joint statement included positive news that fuels optimism for Vietnamese goods.
Photo: Stockfile/FIS
A key provision identifies products listed in Appendix 3 of Executive Order No. 14346, dated September 5, 2025, to potentially enjoy a 0% reciprocal tax rate. This adjustment, aimed at "Adjust[ing] potential tariffs for similarly oriented partners," offers a transformative opportunity for Vietnamese tuna.
The product groups most likely to benefit from the tariff adjustments are:
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Fresh/chilled albacore tuna (HS code 03023100)
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Frozen tuna loins/fillets (HS code 03048700)
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Processed tuna and skipjack tuna, not in hermetically sealed cans, not in oil, in loose form or in direct packings weighing more than 6.8 kg (HS code 16041440)
Photo: Stockfile/FIS
Competitive Edge and Market Impact
If these product groups are indeed granted tax exemption, it will provide a crucial lift to Vietnamese tuna's competitiveness in the US market, one of the world's largest consumers of the product. The US has consistently been the largest importer of Vietnamese tuna, yet high logistics costs and import taxes have constrained selling prices.
Reducing the tax to 0% can help Vietnamese products become more competitive compared to supplies from Ecuador, Thailand, or the Philippines, especially for high-quality frozen tuna loin/fillet and products serving the US food service chains, restaurants, and supermarkets.
The Road Ahead: Navigating Significant Hurdles
.png) Despite the excitement, the transition from expectation to actual benefit is fraught with challenges, as noted by Ms. Nguyen Ha, Tuna Market Expert at the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP). The specific list of exempted products has not yet been officially detailed by the US.
Furthermore, accompanying conditions pose significant barriers for many Vietnamese businesses. These include:
The Vietnamese tuna industry has already been facing increasingly stringent demands from the US and other major markets regarding the combatting of Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing (IUU), protection of marine mammals (MMPA), supply chain transparency, and achieving Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification. Failure to meet these criteria will prevent businesses from leveraging the tariff advantage.
Photo: Stockfile/FIS
Focus on High-Value and Sustainability
The overall trade environment also remains volatile, with the US applying a 20% reciprocal tax to many other Vietnamese goods this year. The 0% tax policy is likely to be selective, prioritizing goods that strongly demonstrate "fair reciprocity" and transparent origin.
In response, Vietnamese tuna exporting enterprises are strategically shifting towards value-added products such as loin, fillet, and large-scale processed tuna. This direction is expected to increase profit margins and align with the "green and sustainable" consumption trends in the US.
It is forecasted that in the next 6-18 months, should the 0% tax policy be applied to the aforementioned HS codes, Vietnam's tuna exports to the US could rebound after a period of stagnation in 2024-2025. However, the ultimate success rests on businesses' commitment to standardizing their supply chains, ensuring IUU compliance, and building a national brand that embodies transparency and sustainable value. The 0% tax is a major opportunity, but only a catalyst for businesses prepared to meet the US's new standard of trade.
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