According to ITC data, Colombia mainly consumes frozen pangasius products (HS code 030424), frozen tilapia HS code 030461, frozen pangasius fillets HS code 030462, etc. In 2023, this South American country consumed nearly USD 50 million of white meat fish, of which the import volume from Vietnam (mainly pangasius) reached nearly 24,000 tons, worth over USD 33 million, accounting for 66% of the market share. Following Vietnam, China, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela are also the largest suppliers of white meat fish to the Colombian market.
Since 2012, Vietnam has continued to be Colombia's primary supplier of white meat fish, according to ITC. Over the course of the previous 11 years, the South American nation has also continued to steadily grow its imports of white meat fish, primarily pangasius, from Vietnam. Colombia consumed more white meat fish products from Vietnam in 2014 than any other country in the race to export white meat fish to this market, with a value of over USD 48 million, or 96% of the market share.
With a value of around USD 45 million, 2022 was also a significant year for Colombia's imports of white meat fish from Vietnam, which made up 90% of all the white flesh fish this nation imported worldwide. One of the reasons Vietnamese pangasius was not appealing to Vietnamese enterprises in 2019 was its poor export price to Colombia. In 2019, the number of companies involved in the export of pangasius to Colombia was typically limited to 4. By the end of May 2024, five years later, 16 Vietnamese companies were exporting pangasius to Colombia. Colombia's economy suffered greatly after COVID-19, with approximately 50% of the population living in poverty, high inflation, and growing living and consumption expenses.
Colombia is the fourth largest economy in Latin America and a leading freshwater aquaculture country in South America with strong tilapia products. However, Colombia has maintained stable imports of frozen pangasius products from Vietnam. With the advantage of being a delicious, nutritious white meat fish, rich in Omega 3, and affordable, pangasius is a popular choice for Colombian consumers. For the past 10 years, Colombian consumers have maintained a diet that includes white meat fish (mainly pangasius) from Vietnam. The high demand has also made importers in this South American country long-term partners of Vietnamese pangasius exporters for over a decade.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Nearly US$1.7 billion is the projected gap in 2029 between the baseline scenario and a scenario in which Vietnam’s seafood exports grow by 10% annually, according to calculations by VASEP to be presented at Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026. This gap raises a key question for the entire industry: Which markets, products and supply chain improvements will generate the additional growth?
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Although Germany’s tuna imports have declined, Vietnam’s tuna exports to the market continue to show positive signs. Notably, export value recovered strongly in Q3/2026, and German import data also show Vietnamese products strengthening their position amid competition among suppliers.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood exports are holding double-digit growth, but the opportunities are not spread evenly across product groups and markets. As businesses draw up their plans for 2027, Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS2026) offers a chance to look ahead together: what to sell, where to sell it, and how to prepare for growth in the coming years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) With less than two weeks to go, the Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026) will officially take place in Can Tho. Under the theme “Seafood Market Outlook 2027–2029 – Opportunities and Potential for Double-Digit Export Growth,” the Summit is organized by VASEP at a time when seafood businesses are facing rapid market shifts, changing buyer demand, trade policy changes and growing competitive pressure all at once.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On October 28, 2026, the China Fisheries & Seafood Expo opened in Qingdao, China. The expo takes place over three days from October 28 to 30, 2026. This is a prestigious specialized seafood exhibition organized annually by Sea Fare Exposition Inc.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first nine months of 2026, Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the CPTPP bloc reached $7 million, marking a 51% year-on-year increase. The bloc rstands as the fourth-largest market for Vietnamese tilapia, trailing Brazil, the US, and Saudi Arabia.
(vasep.com.vn) VASEP has officially announced the program for Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026), featuring five in-depth sessions covering industry outlooks, trade barriers, buyer demand, the domestic market, and solutions to improve productivity and reduce costs across the seafood value chain.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached US$3.7 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 11% year on year. Although growth has been supported by China and several markets within the CPTPP, momentum is slowing as exports to the United States and the European Union decline. Tariff pressures, international competition, and raw material challenges are creating significant hurdles for exporters in the final months of the year.
(vasep.com.vn) Markets are changing faster, buyer requirements are becoming more demanding, and trade barriers are growing increasingly complex. In this environment, seafood businesses need more than an understanding of current market conditions. They need a longer-term perspective to answer a critical question: Where will growth opportunities come from in 2027–2029, and what should businesses do now to prepare? This is one of the key reasons why VASEP is organizing Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East reached US$113 million, up 7% year on year from the same period in 2025. Growth has become more pronounced in recent months. In August alone, exports to the region totaled US$20 million, an increase of 24%. This indicates that demand for Vietnamese pangasius in the Middle East is gradually recovering after a slowdown in March, although the pace of recovery varies across markets.
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