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.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Pangasius is attracting growing interest from Japanese seafood companies as prices of many traditional whitefish species remain high and supply becomes increasingly volatile. Notably, seafood group Kyokuyo has recently continued to feature pangasius among its priority products, highlighting its competitive pricing and stable supply.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) As Vietnam’s tilapia industry searches for new growth opportunities, venturing into brackish-water aquaculture could unlock a formidable competitive moat. Bypassing the volume-and-price bloodbath against established global heavyweights, Vietnam could differentiate itself through high-quality tilapia products tailored to specific farming conditions and value-added market segments.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) 2026 is rapidly shaping up to be a formidable stress test for Vietnamese pangasius exports to the United States. While exports to alternative markets maintain a resilient growth trajectory, the U.S market has declined significantly. In the first eight months of the year, pangasius exports to the U.S fell by nearly 14% year-on-year, with August alone recording a decline of more than 50%. The trend shows that difficulties in the U.S. market are not driven solely by weak consumer demand, but also by multiple layers of trade barriers that are intensifying simultaneously, particularly additional import tariffs, anti-dumping duties and growing protectionism for the domestic catfish industry.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports to Japan are showing positive signals in 2026, indicating that the market is opening up greater opportunities for pangasius products, particularly processed and value-added products. In the first seven months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to Japan reached US$31 million, up 20% year-on-year. In July alone, export value reached approximately US$5 million, up 30%.
On July 22, 2026, the Government issued Decree No. 292/2026/ND-CP detailing certain articles and providing measures for the organization and implementation of the Law on Foreign Trade Management. The Decree takes effect on September 5, 2026, replacing Decree No. 69/2018/ND-CP.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnamese pangasius producer Vinh Hoan has won the top prize at the 2026 Seafood Excellence Asia Awards for its Cured Panga Croquette, highlighting the growing potential of value-added pangasius products in international markets.
(vasep.com.vn) The Global Shrimp Forum (GSF) 2026 is taking place from September 1–3 in Utrecht, the Netherlands, bringing together around 585 delegates from 40 countries, representing approximately 300 companies and organizations across the shrimp supply chain. Representatives from VASEP are attending the event as part of the Vietnamese delegation, strengthening connections with partners across the global shrimp industry.
(vasep.com.vn) At the international B2B seminar (Hosted Buyer Program) held as part of Vietfish 2026, Mr. Nguyen Hoang Pham, Sales Director of Tai Kim Anh Seafood Processing Joint Stock Company, delivered a presentation entitled “Vietnam’s Shrimp Industry: Changing for Sustainability.” From the perspective of a seafood processor, the presentation highlighted that Vietnam’s shrimp industry continues to play a leading role in seafood exports, but is entering a new phase of competition in which change is no longer an option, but a prerequisite for growth.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) VIETFISH 2026 may have concluded after three dynamic days in Ho Chi Minh City, but conversations around the exhibition continue to resonate across international trade media, industry organizations, and the social media channels of participating companies.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia industry is maintaining strong growth momentum, with significant room for further expansion in the coming years. In 2025, total tilapia production reached approximately 420,000 tonnes, up 33% from 2024 and 2.2 times higher than in 2015. During 2015–2025, production grew at an average annual rate of around 8.4%. As production and exports continue to expand, food safety control is receiving increasing attention to ensure product quality, meet the increasingly stringent requirements of international markets, and provide a foundation for the sustainable development of Vietnam’s tilapia industry.
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