Vietnamese tuna-processing firm An Hai has doubled its raw material processing capacity after recently opening its Nhon Hoi 2 plant in Central Vietnam.
The new plant has capacity to process around 100 metric tons (MT) of raw material per day, An Hai Sales Manager Tran Hoang Luan told SeafoodSource during the 2026 Vietfish International Fisheries Exhibition, explaining that together with its existing Nhon Hoi 1 facility, the two plants can process around 200 MT of raw material into about 100 MT of finished tuna products per day.
An Hai specializes in frozen yellowfin tuna and is one of Vietnam's major exporters in the segment, according to Luan. Its products include tuna loins, steaks, cubes, saku, ground meat, and portions.
The company generated around USD 136 million (EUR 116.5 million) in sales in 2025 and previously set a target of USD 150 million (EUR 128.5 million) for 2026.
Luan said the company has already reached that target, with the remainder of the year focused on maintaining sales and expanding its products into more markets.
The U.S. and Europe remain An Hai's main export destinations. The U.S. accounts for about 42 percent of sales, and Europe comprises around 20 percent to 25 percent; the remainder goes to markets including Russia, Japan, and South America.
However, the company has pivoted recently as European sales have become more challenging due to more stringent requirements covering raw material and traceability documentation, particularly those related to fishing vessels and origin certification. An Hai has been forced to source from vessels that meet required standards as a result, Luan said.
Therefore, as European requirements have become more strict, the company has sought to diversify into other markets, including Russia and South America. It has recently entered Costa Rica and Brazil and plans to expand into Argentina.
As for the U.S., Luan said market access is relatively straightforward for established processors that already meet required standards. Though new facilities face higher hurdles related to quality and requirements surrounding sustainably caught raw materials, both An Hai plants are registered with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Though tariffs have affected An Hai's U.S. business, the difference in tariff rates compared to competing countries has not been large enough to significantly undermine its position, Luan said.
The company also benefits from longstanding relationships with U.S. customers, some of whom are willing to pay higher prices compared to products from competing origins because of their confidence in An Hai's quality, Luan said.
An Hai remains heavily dependent on imported raw material despite the expansion of its domestic processing capacity. Around 90 percent of the company's tuna raw material is imported from suppliers abroad, with domestic sources accounting for the remaining 10 percent.
Thanks to the increasing capacity of such firms as An Hai, Vietnam’s tuna export value reached USD 544 million (EUR 465.8 million) in the first seven months of 2026, which was up 2 percent year over year, driven by a 30 percent surge in July that pulled the sector out of negative territory.
Growth was largely fueled by a sharp rebound in the U.S., where July shipments jumped over 80 percent to USD 37.6 million (EUR 32.2 million), lifting seven-month export value to USD 213.6 million (EUR 182.9 million), which marked a 6.3 percent year-over-year increase, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).
