From May to July 2015, export value of pangasius to the market rose by 7.3-23.6% over the same period in 2014. However, sales in the 8 rest months of 2015 posted a deep dive.
According to the ITC, in 2015, the total import value of frozen seafood into Brazil registered a year-on-year slump of 23%. In particular, chilled/fresh/frozen finfish fillets (HS code 0304) dropped by 25% in value and 22% in volume; fresh and whole round fish (HS code 0302) downed 13% in value and 4% in volume; smoked fish and fishmeal (HS code 0305) fell 27% in value and 30% in volume compared to 2014.
Fresh/chilled/frozen fillets (HS code 0304) made up the largest share in the total import value of fresh/chilled/frozen seafood into Brazil. Followed by fish with HS code 0302 and HS code 0305.
In 2015, the import value of whitefish products into the market decreased. In which, imports of frozen pangasius and catfish fillets fell by 37%; frozen hake fillets dropped 18.6%; frozen Alaska pollock fillets down 4.2%; and frozen cod down 32.9% over the same period of 2014.
In the first two months of 2016, China and Vietnam were the largest suppliers for whitefish to Brazil. China increased supplying frozen Alaska pollock fillets; frozen hake fillets; and frozen cod to Brazilian market to compete with Vietnam pangasius.
In 2015, strength of the dollar made imports into Brazil decline sharply. The exchange rate between US dollar and Brazilian Real (BRL) at the end of 2015 was 4 BRL to 1 USD. Thus, exchange rate fluctuations affected not only Vietnam’s pangasius exports but also Chinese whitefish sales into this market. However, Brazilian economy and middle-class is increasingly growing, demands for these products go up. Thanks to that, in Dec 2015 and Jan-Mar 2016, Vietnam pangasius export to Brazil soared.
|
HS code |
Products |
QI |
QII |
QIII |
QIV |
2015 |
2014 |
Variation (%) |
|
030462 |
Frozen pangasius and catfish fillets |
9,480 |
7,093 |
21,763 |
18,242 |
56,578 |
89,869 |
-37.0 |
|
030474 |
Frozen hake fillets |
28,089 |
17,171 |
13,666 |
17,469 |
76,395 |
93,876 |
-18.6 |
|
030475 |
Frozen Alaska pollock fillets |
50,529 |
7,675 |
4,918 |
11,764 |
74,886 |
78,159 |
-4.2 |
|
030363 |
Frozen cod |
16,422 |
2,804 |
4,543 |
9,782 |
33,551 |
49,977 |
-32.9 |
|
030471 |
Frozen cod fillets |
7,736 |
3,866 |
2,178 |
1,858 |
15,638 |
20,323 |
-23.1 |
|
030366 |
Frozen hake |
830 |
1,092 |
510 |
398 |
2,830 |
4,154 |
-31.9 |
|
030324 |
Frozen pangasius and catfish |
- |
11 |
402 |
152 |
565 |
1,324 |
-57.3 |
|
030432 |
Fresh/chilled pangasius and catfish fillets |
- |
- |
- |
15 |
15 |
354 |
-95.8 |
|
030367 |
Frozen Alaska pollock |
360 |
397 |
- |
10 |
767 |
446 |
72.0 |
Compiled by Dieu Thuy
(vasep.com.vn) On November 11, 2026, in Can Tho, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) will organize the Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026) under the theme “Seafood Market Outlook 2027–2029: Opportunities and Headroom for Double-Digit Export Growth.”
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Business leader Do Ngoc Tai, General Director of Tai Kim Anh Seafood Processing Joint Stock Company, was honored by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) with the title “Outstanding Vietnamese Entrepreneur – Thanh Giong Cup 2026” at a ceremony celebrating Vietnam Entrepreneurs’ Day (October 13). The event took place on the evening of October 11, 2026, at the National Convention Center in Hanoi.
(vasep.com.vn) The global tilapia market is becoming increasingly segmented, not only among producing countries but also by product type and destination market. Supply is divided into groups with distinct competitive advantages: large volumes of whole fish and frozen fillets from Asia, high-value fresh fillets from Latin America, and substantial domestic consumption in several major producing countries.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tuna exports to the UK grew in the first eight months of 2026, despite signs of slowing import demand in the market. However, sharp fluctuations in orders, competition from major suppliers, and new traceability requirements are creating challenges for Vietnamese exporters.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam is stepping up efforts to combat illegal fishing, protect marine ecosystems, expand digital monitoring, and develop science-based management to ensure the sea can support communities and the economy for generations to come.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The EU remains a critical market for Vietnamese shrimp; however, purchasing demand and import patterns are undergoing notable changes. According to Vietnam Customs data, as of September 15, 2026, Vietnam’s shrimp exports to the EU reached nearly $374 million, down 5% year-over-year and accounting for 10.7% of the country’s total shrimp export value. Meanwhile, the EU’s stotal shrimp imports through July 2026 contracted by 7% in volume, exhibiting divergent trends across Southern Europe, Northwestern Europe and Eastern Europe. These dynamics necessitate that Vietnamese enterprises closely monitor individualized market demand, rather than approaching the EU as a monolithic consumer block.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam’s exports of surimi and fish cakes remained relatively stable year-over-year compared to 2025. Following a contraction in the initial months, export performance demonstrated improvement from June onward, peaking in August. However, the recovery has been uneven, characterized by divergent trends across major markets: robust growth was recorded in China, Japan, Malaysia, the United States, and Taiwan, whereas export volumes to South Korea, Indonesia, and select European markets contracted.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Pangasius remains one of Dong Thap’s key aquaculture species, with the province focusing on developing an integrated value chain covering seed production, commercial farming, deep processing and by-product utilization. The province is promoting high-tech, circular pangasius farming models featuring reduced water exchange and enhanced biosecurity, aiming to improve production efficiency and strengthen control over raw material quality.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports in September 2026 are estimated at US$1.135 billion, up 11.9% year-on-year, bringing total exports in the first nine months of the year to US$9.103 billion, up 11.4%. Behind this double-digit growth, however, increasingly divergent market trends are emerging: China–Hong Kong and ASEAN posted strong growth, while the U.S., EU and Japan all recorded declines in September.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Brazil became the largest market for Vietnamese tilapia, with export value reaching US$44 million, up 22,142% year-on-year and accounting for 49% of Vietnam’s total tilapia exports. In August alone, exports to Brazil reached US$4 million. However, behind this remarkable growth is a market that is imposing increasingly stringent requirements on imported supplies.
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