SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Bangkok Post] by Lamonphet Apisitniran
Thai canned tuna export value expanded 4 percent to 77 billion baht in 2016 because of strong demand in major markets such as the Middle East, says Chanintr Chalisarapong, president of the Thai Tuna Industry Association (TTIA).
Growth this year is also expected to reach 4 percent because of strong demand from emerging markets, he said.
In terms of quantity, Thailand, which is the world's leading exporter of canned tuna, shipped 630,000 tonnes last year to major buyers in South Africa and Latin America, where demand grew substantially.
Of total exports last year, some 30 percent was to the Middle East, 15 percent to the U.S., 8 percent to Europe and the rest to Japan, Canada and Australia.
"Last year exports to Europe dropped by 15 percent because ...