However, Vietnamese pangasius sales to Mexico are downing. In September, exports decreased by 37 percent to US$4.8 million. This was the second consecutive month reporting drop in value.
Some exporters said that Mexican pagasius imports downed because there were much more domestic-farmed tilapia in this market. Moreover, prices for domestic and imported tilapia products were stable, so local consumers were turning to eat this kind of fish.
Importing tilapia products into the market has increased since May 2013. In the first months of the year, Mexico just purchased a much lower volume of tilapia compared to that of pangasius. However, purchases of these two kinds of fishes were nearly the same since May.
With total of US$78.7 million, China remained the leading supplier of frozen fish fillets of Mexico in terms of value through July 2013, followed by Vietnam with US$69.4 million.
Generally, Mexican consumers like eating more frozen fish than fresh and canned products. So far, per-capita seafood consumption of the country was 9 kilogram per year. Mexico’s governement took measures to enhance per-capita consumption in the next ten years. Currently, the country reports an annual fishery production of 1.7 million MT; 85 percent of which was wild-caught fishes, the rest is aquacultural species. Shrimp, tilapia, tuna are the main wild-caught and farmed species. Tilapia and catfish are also increasingly grown in some states of Mexico.
Mexico plans to undertake a pilot farming program with pangasius seeds from Vietnam, as well as conduct research to assess eventual environmental impacts of pangasius aquaculture on surrounding areas and communities.
Despite downing pangasius exports to Mexico in the last two months, this country has still been a steady market for Vietnamese pangasius with higher exported price compared to those offered by other importers, Vietnamese companies said.
|
Mexican imports of frozen fish fillets (HS code 0304) in 2013, US$ thousand |
||||||||
|
Origin |
January |
February |
March |
April |
May |
June |
July |
Jan - Jul |
|
China |
11,564 |
10,826 |
3,665 |
7,601 |
12,997 |
14,506 |
17,559 |
78,718 |
|
Vietnam |
12,450 |
12,514 |
9,582 |
7,721 |
8,120 |
8,667 |
10,355 |
69,409 |
|
Chile |
3,530 |
5,020 |
3,998 |
2,338 |
6,199 |
5,419 |
6,753 |
33,257 |
|
Indonesia |
14 |
478 |
238 |
464 |
680 |
282 |
790 |
2,946 |
|
Nicaragua |
152 |
164 |
29 |
64 |
48 |
54 |
244 |
755 |
|
Peru |
0 |
202 |
96 |
0 |
100 |
17 |
220 |
635 |
|
The U.S. |
177 |
129 |
342 |
149 |
166 |
197 |
200 |
1,360 |
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietfish 2026, the Vietnam International Seafood Exhibition, will officially take place from 19–21 August 2026 in Ho Chi Minh City. As Vietnam’s largest annual seafood trade event, organized by the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), Vietfish 2026 will once again bring together leading seafood companies, industry experts, and international partners from across the global seafood value chain.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached USD 1.1 billion in July 2026, up 4.8% compared to the same period in 2025. Cumulative exports in the first seven months of the year totaled nearly USD 6.86 billion, an increase of 11.5% year-on-year. Exceeding the USD 1 billion mark in July further reinforces the prospect that Vietnam’s seafood exports could surpass USD 12 billion in 2026. However, the July figures also send a clear signal that the most favorable growth period may have passed: overall export growth slowed to just 4.8%, pangasius exports fell 6.1%, tuna exports were virtually flat, while exports to the EU, South Korea, and the Middle East all recorded double-digit declines.
(vasep.com.vn) As part of the Vietnam Fisheries International Exhibition (Vietfish 2026), the seminar "Global Seafood Market and the Future Workforce: Trends, Opportunities, and Sustainable Development Pathways for Vietnam's Seafood Industry" will take place from 2:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. on August 19, 2026, at Convention Room B, Level 2, SECC, Ho Chi Minh City. This is the first of five specialized seminars at Vietfish 2026, focusing on key issues that are shaping the long-term development of Vietnam's seafood industry.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnamese seafood exports recorded impressive growth, generating nearly 6 billion USD in revenue during the first six months of the year, up 13% compared with the same period last year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Fishermen in Ha Tinh are gradually overcoming difficulties to maintain the efficiency of seafood exploitation. In the first six months of 2026, the entire province achieved a production of more than 23,000 tons of seafood, worth more than 1,200 billion VND.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) June 2026 brought encouraging signs for Vietnam's tuna exports, with export value rising 20% year-on-year to nearly USD 72 million. However, this increase has yet to offset the prolonged slowdown seen in key markets such as the European Union (EU), where import demand remains weak. The outlook for the second half of the year is expected to become more challenging as freight rates continue to climb.
(vasep.com.vn) As part of the Vietnam Fisheries International Exhibition (Vietfish 2026), the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), in collaboration with the Agency for Domestic Market Management and Development under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, will organize the Domestic Seafood Supply–Demand Matching Program on the morning of August 20, 2026, at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), Ho Chi Minh City. The program aims to foster direct business connections between Vietnamese seafood producers and processors and domestic distributors, retailers, and foodservice channels.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The Cooking Show will be one of the most engaging experiential highlights of Vietfish 2026. Taking place over three days, from August 19–21, 2026, at Hall B1, SECC, Ho Chi Minh City, the event will offer visitors a vibrant culinary space where Vietnamese seafood is showcased through its flavors, stories, and real-life culinary applications.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam's pangasius exports reached USD 205 million in June 2026, up 5% compared with the same month in 2025. Cumulative export value for the first six months of the year totaled USD 1.1 billion, an increase of 12% year-on-year. Growth was primarily driven by strong demand from China and CPTPP markets, while exports to the United States and Brazil continued to decline.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first six months of 2026, Ha Tinh province continued to implement comprehensive solutions to combat IUU fishing; strictly manage the fishing fleet, control fishing vessels entering and leaving ports, operate vessel tracking devices, trace the origin of seafood, and severely punish violations.
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