冻品攻略

Global Skipjack Tuna Market Holds Steady as Wait-and-See Sentiment Grows!

Source: 冻品攻略2026-04-10 08:000 views0 comments

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In early April, the global skipjack tuna (Skipjack tuna) market overall maintained a high-level stabilization, but the pace of transactions slowed noticeably. Under the influence of multiple factors including rising fuel costs, continued logistics disruptions, and a tightening supply chain, prices in major hubs such as Bangkok and Manta remain supported, but end buyers are cautious and market wait-and-see sentiment is relatively strong.

According to the market situation in Week 15, from April 6 to 12, the CFR price of frozen whole skipjack tuna in Bangkok, Thailand, was overall basically flat compared with the previous week, but market activity was low. Industry insiders reported that liquidity in the Bangkok market was limited this week, with few actual transactions, especially transactions at the high end of the previously quoted range being even scarcer. One market participant said that transaction volume in the Bangkok market is currently very small, and many buyers are unwilling to accept the existing price level, so they choose to postpone purchasing.

Although large Asian processors believe that the currently tradeable price may be USD 100 to 150 per tonne lower than the lower bound of the range reported last week, the market has not seen actual transactions recorded at this low level, so industry quotations remain stable week on week. That is to say, on the surface prices appear firm, but judging from actual trading conditions, the market fundamentals have already shown some signs of weakness, and high-priced transactions lack sufficient support.

Several sources pointed out that market quotations are currently limited, and demand is still faster than supply. However, some purchasing behavior is more for precautionary restocking rather than a real improvement in end consumption. Affected by rising fuel prices, container ocean freight rates have risen further, and some canneries have begun to build inventories in advance, a phenomenon quite similar to the stockpiling pattern during the pandemic. The industry also reminds that this inventory accumulation has a certain speculative nature. If restocking continues or even accelerates later, even if end demand does not strengthen noticeably, it may continue to provide upward support for raw material prices.

Compared with the Bangkok market, the trading atmosphere in the Manta, Ecuador market is slightly firmer. Market sources show that some transactions in Manta have been concluded within the current quotation range, with most transaction prices concentrated near the high end of the range, or about USD 50 per tonne lower, overall continuing the Week 14 level. A fisheries sector source said that within the next 1 to 2 weeks, the market may see more obvious price changes.

Although the current geopolitical situation has not yet directly transmitted to the local tuna market, the impact of rising petroleum-derived costs has begun to appear. A cannery source in Manta said on April 8 that although no direct impact from the pause in the Iran war has yet been felt, increases in petroleum-related input costs have been noticed, such as higher costs for stand-up pouch packaging materials. Previously, the United States and Iran reached a two-week ceasefire agreement on the 2026 Iran war under Pakistan's mediation.

According to the fishing report released by the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) for January 1 to March 22, 2026, total tuna catches during the reporting period were 208,880 tonnes, down 7% year on year and below 224,510 tonnes in the same period of 2025. Although yellowfin tuna catches increased 15% year on year, skipjack tuna catches fell sharply to 81,697 tonnes, down 26% from 110,073 tonnes in the same period last year.

The noticeable contraction in skipjack tuna supply is expected to continue to support the market in the short term. Affected by this, although prices in the Manta market remain lower than Bangkok, considering that Bangkok prices have already risen significantly last month, the current price gap between the two places is still within a market-acceptable range.