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) In June 2026, Vietnam's shrimp exports reached nearly USD 458 million, up 24% year-on-year. In the first six months of 2026, export value totaled USD 2.35 billion, an increase of 14.2% compared with the same period last year. Growth was driven mainly by the Chinese market and the strong performance of lobster exports, while shrimp exports continued to face pressure from U.S. tariffs and rising logistics costs.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) As part of Vietfish 2026, the Hosted Buyer Program is designed as a specialized B2B matchmaking initiative for selected international buyers, providing opportunities to meet directly with Vietnamese seafood exporters, gain the latest market insights, and experience Vietnam's seafood supply chain firsthand.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) A project titled "Sustainable Shrimp Industry Governance" has been launched in Ca Mau Province with the aim of supporting the transition of the province's shrimp industry toward higher quality, lower emissions, stronger governance capacity, improved supply chain traceability, and the development of a sustainable shrimp brand that meets the increasingly stringent requirements of export markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Khanh Hoa Provincial Agricultural Extension Center, in collaboration with the Northern Center for Marine Aquaculture Research and the Van Hung Public Service Center, recently organized a training course on disease-free golden pompano seed production. The program is part of a National Agricultural Extension Project aimed at developing industrial-scale seed production models to support sustainable marine aquaculture.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports have shown encouraging signs of recovery in 2026. In the first four months of the year, total export turnover reached USD 720 million, up 17% compared to the same period last year. This result reflects improving demand across many markets, as well as the efforts of Vietnamese pangasius enterprises to maintain production, secure orders, and adapt to changing market conditions.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The application of high technology in shrimp farming is delivering positive results in the coastal areas of Vinh Long Province, contributing to improved production efficiency and creating significant potential for further industry expansion. However, to fully capitalize on this potential, the province is focusing on aquaculture zoning, infrastructure investment, and promoting modern, sustainable production.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Đồng Tháp Province has intensified efforts to curb illegal fishing by strengthening vessel monitoring, law enforcement and seafood traceability.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood businesses need solutions to overcome bottlenecks such as labor shortages, difficulty accessing capital, high input costs, and administrative procedures in order to maintain production, adapt to market fluctuations, and effectively exploit export opportunities.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The FTA would widen access to markets with strong demand for premium food products in line with the country’s strategy of shifting exports towards increasing added value.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On the morning of July 13th, Mr. Ho Quoc Dung, Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam and Deputy Prime Minister, along with his delegation, visited and worked with businesses in An Giang province to promptly resolve obstacles and promote production and business activities.
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