(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first five months of 2018, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to Brazil reached US$34.1 million, down 31.9% over the same period last year. Th country was a potential importing market of Vietnamese pangasius in 2017 and expected to continue in the second half of 2018.
In the last 10 years (from 2008 to 2017), Vietnam’s pangasius export turnover to Brazil reported the continuous growth but fluctuated from US$114.8 thousand (2008) to US$104.7 million (2017).
In 2012, sales to Brazil only accounted for 4.3% of Vietnam's pangasius export volume and held as the 6th rank. But in 2013, those to Brazil picked up 6.7% of Vietnam's pangasius export turnover and ranked the 4th behind the U.S, the EU and ASEAN. While pangasius exports to big markets faced difficulties, exports to Brazil in 2013 recorded the good growth.
In the group of frozen whitefish fillets (HS code 0304), Vietnamese pangasius was the third most imported item into Brazil behind Alaska pollock and hake. According to data from the International Trade Center (ITC), in 2013, imports of Alaska pollock into Brazil were up 25.5%; those of pangasius increased by 75.3% and those of cod went up 19.6% over 2012.
In 2013, Brazil only imported pangasius from Vietnam and did not import catfish from other countries around the world while during the same period last year, Brazil imported catfish from Spain and China.
By early 2015, pangasius exports to this market stayed stagnant because the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture of Brazil (MPA) announced the suspension of imports of seafood and products processed from fish and / or fishing products from Vietnam. Then, since April 2015, the MPA has announced that the country had lifted the import ban on seafood and fishery products from Vietnam. Thus, in 2014, the export value of pangasius to Brazil decreased from US$122.9 million to US$77 million in 2015 and hit US$68 million in 2016.
However, in Brazil, in 2016, China and Vietnam were still the two largest suppliers of whitefish products to the market. While China focused on frozen Alaska pollock fillets, Vietnam boosted exports of frozen pangasius fillets to the market.
In 2017, the total export value to the Brazilian market reached US$104.7 million, up 54% over the previous year. This was considered as a potential market of Vietnam with the highest growth in the year.
Although, in the first half of 2018, pangasius exports to Brazil declined, however, with low level glazing and high quality, pangasius products remain popular to Brazilian customers. Therefore, Brazil is still forecasted to be a potential market with the good growth in the last months of the year.