The right economic policies have been helping Colombia in developing its economy sustainably, while many other countries are struggling with global economic crisis impacts.
Currently, Colombia’s per-capita fish consumption is 6 kilogram/year. Colombian consumers are becoming more interested in seafood products from Vietnam, particularly pangasius, creating huge opportunities for Vietnamese exporters to enter this market. According to Vietnam Customs, through 15th May, 2013, pangasius exports to Colombia reached US$18.4 million.
Over the recent years, Colombia’s fish aquaculture has remained with annual growth of 6.7 percent but the production was still at a low level to cover the demand. Colombia Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said that fish harvest represented 84 percent of national fish farming; the remainder was shrimp.
In 2011, Colombia produced 61,500 MT of fish species, including 48,000 MT of tilapia (78 percent), 3,000 MT of freshwater farmed salmon… Huila, Valle del Cauca, Tolima and Meta were centers of tilapia farming. Freshwater farmed salmon were mainly breeded in Antioquia, Cauca, Boyaca, Cundinamarca and Narino. Currently, Colombia’s main export item is frozen fish (HS0303) with a total export volume of 41,069 MT and a value of US$79.09 million in 2012.
In 2012, the country imported US$156.758 million of fish products (HS03), up 29.1 percent on that of 2011. In which, Vietnam was the largest supplier with US$47.523 million of import value, accounting for 30 percent. Vietnam is also the leading exporter of frozen fish fillets to Colombia with 16,545 MT and a value of US$37.988 million in 2012.
In 2012 Colombia purchased mostly frozen fish products (HS0303), imports value totaled USS$66.259 million, up 46.4 percent over the previous year. Frozen fillets (HS0304) ranked second with US$65.066 million, up 18.55 percent from 2011; of which frozen pangasius fillets were 8,461 MT.
So far, international investors are turning their attention to Colombia rather than to Brazil, Mexico and Chile like they did in the past years. With a young population and a rapid and high growth, Colombia is becoming a “new economic tiger” of Latin America with an expected steady growth in the coming years. Therefore, there is a great opportunity, for Vietnamese seafood products and for pangasius, to develop in this market in the future.
|
Top 10 fish suppliers to Colombia, US$ mil. Source: ITC |
||||||
|
No. |
Origin |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
|
1 |
Vietnam |
6.918 |
10.703 |
22.493 |
40.328 |
47.523 |
|
2 |
Chile |
12.881 |
15.163 |
15.406 |
19.525 |
20.860 |
|
3 |
Ecuador |
12.965 |
13.880 |
13.604 |
14.528 |
19.104 |
|
4 |
Senegal |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1.345 |
11.321 |
|
5 |
South Africa |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3.348 |
10.285 |
|
6 |
China |
2.931 |
1.975 |
4.942 |
7.190 |
10.267 |
|
7 |
Argentina |
8.728 |
8.995 |
10.363 |
9.416 |
8.401 |
|
8 |
Uruguay |
1.915 |
1.976 |
1.442 |
3.157 |
4.628 |
|
9 |
Trinidad & Tobago |
3.482 |
13.272 |
11.590 |
9.361 |
3.301 |
|
10 |
Namibia |
0 |
0.778 |
0.471 |
0.885 |
2.899 |
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The year 2025 marked a pivotal milestone for Vietnam’s seafood industry in its restructuring process toward sustainability, transparency, and higher value creation, amid continued uncertainties in the global economic and trade environment. Prolonged inflation in major economies, the rising trend of trade protectionism, and increasingly stringent requirements related to environmental standards, traceability, and social responsibility have posed significant challenges to seafood production and exports. Nevertheless, overcoming these pressures, Vietnam’s seafood sector has gradually demonstrated its adaptability, maintained growth momentum, and laid an important foundation for the next stage of development.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Amid the increasingly evident impacts of drought and saltwater intrusion, the shrimp-rice production model in Ca Mau province continues to prove itself as a viable direction, contributing to higher farmer incomes, improved soil conditions and the promotion of ecological and sustainable agricultural development.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The management of fishing vessels, monitoring of fishing activities, and handling of violations in the fisheries sector in Lam Dong province have continued to be implemented in a synchronized and stringent manner, contributing to raising awareness of legal compliance among fishermen and aiming to end illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Can Tho’s fishery industry sustained steady growth in 2025 with total aquatic and marine output reaching nearly 783,000 tons, fulfilling 100% of the annual target. Aquaculture, capture fisheries and fishing fleet management were further strengthened, aiming for sustainable development in the coming years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s pangasius export turnover reached nearly USD 2.2 billion, up 8% year-on-year. This result indicates that pangasius exports maintained their growth momentum despite significant volatility in the global market environment. In December 2025, pangasius export value reached USD 200 million, up 10% compared to December 2024. This solid performance in the final month of the year reflects increased import demand for consumption and inventory replenishment in key markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Spain experienced significant fluctuations. According to Vietnam Customs, during the first 11 months of 2025, export turnover for the first 11 months of the year edged up by 0.3% year-on-year, reaching nearly $15 million.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son has signed Decision No. 16/QD-TTg, dated January 5, 2026, approving the implementation plan for the Vietnam-Israel Free Trade Agreement (VIFTA). Under the plan, in the coming period, ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-affiliated entities and People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities must institutionalize and execute tasks focused on the dissemination of information regarding VIFTA and the Israeli market; legislative and institutional development, as well as enhancing competitiveness and human resource growth...
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Beyond achieving double-digit growth, Vietnam’s fish cake and surimi exports are showing a notable year-end "inflection point": the EU his accelerating with nearly twofold growth, China & Hong Kong are rising sharply, while the largest market, South Korea, signaled a slowdown in November. According to Vietnam Customs data, export turnover of fish cake and surimi reached $327 million in the first 11 months of 2025, up 22% year-on-year; November 2025 alone accounted for $35 million, marking a 5% increase. This serves as a critical foundation for exporters to reassess market structures and competitive intensity while finalizing order strategies for 2026.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Ca Mau, widely regarded as the nation’s “shrimp capital”, continued its strong performance in 2025 as shrimp output reached nearly 600,000 tons, maintaining its position as Vietnam’s leading shrimp-producing locality.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On December 29, 2025, at the 2025 Pangasius Industry Review Conference held in Can Tho City, the Vietnam Pangasius Association announced that fingerling prices have surged to record levels due to acute supply shortages.
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