Multiple sources reported that prices in Thailand fell across the board this week, with small and medium-sized canned tuna factories seeing a drop in procurement costs of $20-30 per ton. The primary source of skipjack tuna raw materials is the West-Central Pacific region. Recent fishing conditions in the Pacific have not been particularly favorable, but a large influx of Indian Ocean raw materials into the Bangkok market has impacted prices from other regions. Additionally, sources indicated that a price of $1,500 per ton might be the lower limit for transactions in the short term. Typically, demand from canned tuna factories slows down towards the end of the year. By the end of 2025, the price trend for skipjack tuna is expected to be similar to that of 2023, but different from the stable situation at the end of 2024. In Manta, Ecuador, current prices remain strong, with an average transaction price of $1,800 per ton for whole fish. As prices in Thailand continue to decline, the price difference between Ecuador and Thailand has further widened. Demand for raw materials from Ecuadorian processing plants is strong, and the supply of high-quality products for the EU market remains scarce. Over the past few years, Ecuador's tuna exports have increased significantly, and many canned tuna factories have expanded. During periods of shortage, some factories often cannot operate at full capacity. Some Ecuadorian factories plan to halt production for two weeks during the Christmas and New Year holidays, which may reduce demand for raw materials. In 2026, labor costs in Ecuador are expected to rise by 3-5%, and the cost of imported olive oil and other inputs remains high. Furthermore, the recent transaction price for Indian Ocean skipjack tuna is in the range of $1,200-$1,300 per ton. Most transaction prices in the Seychelles region are on the lower side, while transaction prices in the Abidjan region of Côte d'Ivoire are around $1,250 per ton, basically unchanged from last month.