The imminent arrival of Vietnam's inaugural tilapia export shipment at a Brazilian port holds not only commercial significance but also serves as evidence of joint efforts to promote economic and trade cooperation between the two countries, especially as bilateral ties have been upgraded to a strategic partnership and Brazil's recognition of Vietnam as a market economy.
This was affirmed by Vietnamese Ambassador to Brazil Bui Van Nghi in an interview with TTXVN reporters in South America, on the occasion of the first 24-ton container of Vietnamese tilapia departing Ho Chi Minh City's port on November 6 to be exported to Brazil via JBS Group, Brazil's largest food corporation.
Ambassador Bui Van Nghi emphasized that this represents a concrete result of enterprise connections, market expansion and affirmation of the quality of Vietnamese agricultural and aquatic products in the Brazilian and broader Latin American markets.
This is one of 32 containers, totaling 700 tons of tilapia - ordered by JBS, with products set to enter supermarket shelves, the Horeca distribution channel, and JBS’s showrooms in Brazil. The current container is expected to arrive at Santos Port on December 17.
JBS Group currently employs 280,000 personnel, operates 150 factories across many countries and leads the world in beef and chicken production; it is also investing $150 million in two beef processing plants in Vietnam.
According to Ambassador Bui Van Nghi, this event represents a new development in economic and trade cooperation between Vietnam and Brazil, materializing the mutual agricultural market opening agreement between the two countries that Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Brazilian President Lula da Silva committed to during their high-level meeting on the sidelines of the expanded BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro in July 2025.
Both sides agreed to continue opening agricultural markets to each other. Vietnam will open its market to Brazilian beef, while Brazil will open its market to Vietnamese tilapia, tra and basa fish.
Ambassador Bui Van Nghi also stated that the Vietnamese Embassy in Brazil will continue to accompany businesses and localities of both countries, supporting promotion, connections and resolution of difficulties to enable more Vietnamese products to penetrate deeper and wider into the Brazilian and South American markets.
Meanwhile, Marcio Rodrigues, JBS Group's Executive Director in charge of market access, assessed that this event reflects the increasingly solid partnership between JBS and Vietnam, strengthened through specific activities such as investments in Vietnam, job creation and expanded imports of Vietnamese products.
Currently, the two countries are promoting negotiations toward signing a Trade Agreement between Vietnam and the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) bloc, in the context of Brazil serving as the rotating chair of the bloc in 2025, while enhancing connections between businesses, associations and relevant ministries and sectors to facilitate bilateral trade development in a direction of market diversification, balanced interests and sustainable development.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The year 2025 is considered a turning point for Vietnam’s shrimp seed industry as the sector faces the need for strong transformation in technology, production management, and gradual self-sufficiency in broodstock supply. These factors are seen as key to improving seed quality and strengthening the competitiveness of the shrimp industry amid increasingly demanding market requirements.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In February 2026, Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached nearly USD 310 million, up 17% year-on-year. Cumulatively for the first two months of the year, shrimp export value totaled USD 690 million, an increase of 20% compared with the same period last year. Compared with the 22% growth recorded in January, the pace of increase in February slowed somewhat, reflecting seasonal factors as the Lunar New Year holiday partially disrupted processing and shipment activities. Nevertheless, the nearly 20% growth in the first two months indicates that shrimp orders from Vietnam are maintaining a more positive trend than in the same period last year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to the latest statistics for January 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius export value to major market blocs recorded encouraging growth compared with the same period last year, indicating that consumption demand is gradually recovering.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports in February 2026 reached approximately USD 707 million, up 8% compared to the same period last year. Cumulatively, exports in the first two months of 2026 totaled USD 1.7 billion, an increase of 20.2% year-on-year. The results show that the sector’s recovery momentum has remained relatively solid following strong growth in January, although the pace slowed noticeably in February for several key products and major markets. Within the overall picture, shrimp continues to be the largest pillar, pangasius rebounds strongly, while tuna exports and the U.S. and Korean markets are sending signals that warrant closer monitoring. In March, seafood exports are expected to gain additional momentum from markets other than the U.S., potentially supporting stronger growth.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first months of 2026, fishing activities in Quang Tri province recorded many positive signals, with output reaching over 15,941 tons. This result not only demonstrates fishermen’s efforts to stay offshore but also reflects the effectiveness of management and support measures implemented by local authorities.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first months of 2026, IUU prevention models focused on communication and mobilizing fishermen to comply with fisheries laws and avoid encroaching on foreign waters—related to combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing—have been implemented in coastal localities of Lam Dong province and have delivered initial positive results.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The sharp rise in raw pangasius prices to record levels is sending positive signals for the industry, but experts warn of potential supply–demand imbalances if production is not tightly controlled.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to statistics from Vietnam Customs, the country’s total canned tuna export value in 2025 reached over USD 275 million, down 8% compared to 2024. Vietnamese canned tuna products were present in approximately 80 markets worldwide. However, the 2025 picture shows clear divergence: the U.S. maintained stability, the EU declined sharply, while several Middle East–North Africa (MENA) markets accelerated.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s crab exports reached nearly USD 86 million, up almost 6% compared to 2024. A notable feature of 2025 was the strong market concentration in the United States, which accounted for more than 81% of Vietnam’s total crab export value, up 10% from the previous year. In contrast, exports to several Asian markets declined significantly, resulting in only modest overall growth for the year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s tilapia exports recorded impressive growth, with total export turnover reaching over USD 99 million, highlighting the increasingly important role of this product in the country’s seafood export structure. Of this total, tilapia fillets and other fish meat products accounted for USD 61 million, representing 61% of total export value and reaffirming their position as the key product category.
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