These results highlight Colombia’s emergence as a promising market in South America, as Vietnamese pangasius exporters continue to diversify beyond their traditional export destinations.
Frozen pangasius is the preferred product in Colombia
In terms of product mix, Colombia currently favors two main categories: frozen whole pangasius (HS code 03032400) and frozen pangasius fillets (HS code 0304). These two product groups account for roughly equal shares of total export value, with each representing approximately 50% of Vietnam’s pangasius exports to Colombia.
This balanced structure indicates that demand in Colombia extends beyond frozen fillets to include frozen whole fish used as raw material for further processing and domestic consumption.
Consumer preferences in Colombia closely resemble those of other Latin American markets such as Mexico and Brazil. These markets generally favor competitively priced frozen raw products that are easy to store and suitable for everyday cooking. By contrast, demand for value-added pangasius products remains limited. Deep-processed products, including breaded, seasoned, or ready-to-eat items, have yet to become major product categories in the region.
Strong growth, but sustainability remains to be assessed
The strong performance of Vietnamese pangasius in Colombia during 2026 has been driven by stable demand for frozen whitefish, Vietnam’s competitive pricing, and its well-established position as a reliable supplier. Vietnam benefits from abundant production capacity, consistent supply, compliance with numerous international certification standards, and price competitiveness within the mass-market segment. These advantages have enabled Vietnamese pangasius to maintain its competitiveness in a market with robust demand for frozen seafood.
In addition, fish consumption in Colombia tends to increase during peak holiday periods, particularly Semana Santa (Holy Week), when seafood consumption traditionally rises. This seasonal demand encourages importers to increase purchases of frozen fish for inventory and distribution.
Nevertheless, the impressive growth recorded during the first five months of the year should be interpreted with caution. The sharp increase may partly reflect a low comparison base in the previous year or the impact of several large shipments during the period. Therefore, further monitoring of export value, export volume, average export prices, and the number of importers will be necessary to determine whether the current growth trend is sustainable.
Overall, Colombia represents a promising market with considerable room for further expansion of Vietnamese pangasius exports. To capitalize on this potential, exporters should continue to leverage their competitive pricing, maintain consistent product quality, offer specifications that meet local market preferences, and gradually strengthen their distribution networks in the country.
(vasep.com.vn) The global tilapia market continues to grow, creating significant opportunities for countries with strengths in aquaculture, processing, and exports. Against this backdrop, Vietnam’s tilapia industry is gradually developing toward higher quality, greater product diversification, and broader market reach. At Vietfish 2026, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), together with the VASEP Tilapia Producers and Exporters Club, will host a joint booth to promote the image and potential of Vietnamese tilapia to domestic and international buyers.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports are heading towards $12 billion this year, potentially the highest level on record. Yet one of the country’s export strengths is facing a growing list of challenges.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The first six months of 2026 indicate that Vietnam’s tilapia industry is entering a new phase of development, with strong export growth but also greater demands for production scale, quality and international competitiveness.
(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.
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