The European Union is urged to classify canned fish as a strategic industry to strictly prevent Thai tuna from impacting the European market.

Published 2025년 12월 1일

Tridge summary

Core message: In the current restructuring of the global food supply chain, the European canned fish processing industry is striving to ensure it is not marginalized. The Spanish industry organization ANFACO-CYTMA recently voiced its concerns in the European Parliament in Brussels, requesting that the EU officially recognize the canned fish industry as a strategic sector for ensuring European food security and provide stronger protection in external trade negotiations, particularly in trade agreements with Thailand, the world's largest tuna processing and exporting country, to ensure canned tuna is classified as a "sensitive product" and avoid complete tariff liberalization in the future.

Original content

Call for Enhanced Strategic Status: Canned Fish is the Cornerstone of Europe's "Crisis Food" At a high-level meeting, officials from the European Commission, the Galician government, industry associations, and European Parliament members emphasized that canned fish, with its nutritional stability, no need for cold chain, and long-term storage capability, is a crucial force in maintaining the security of Europe's food supply in emergency situations such as wars, energy crises, or logistics disruptions. For instance, in Spain, canned tuna accounts for 70% of its seafood processing output and is a pillar of the local coastal region's manufacturing industry. However, in contrast to its strategic status, the European canned food market is stagnant, and consumer trends are changing rapidly. Any trade concessions could lead to imbalances and risks of industrial relocation. Industry's Biggest Concern: Relaxed Thai Imports Combined with IUU Risks The main focus of the discussions at the ...

Source: Foodmate