Relaxed import standards
Previously, Brazil’s strict standards on additives and phosphates posed challenges for Vietnamese pangasius. Brazil’s consideration of aligning with international norms reduces compliance costs and facilitates exports of deeply processed products like breaded pangasius. This diversifies product offerings and boosts export value. Bilateral trade cooperation
Vietnam and Brazil aim to increase bilateral trade to $10 billion by 2025 and $15 billion by 2030. As Vietnam’s largest trade partner in South America, Brazil offers opportunities for seafood businesses to expand market share. Negotiations with MERCOSUR, of which Brazil is a member, could lead to tax incentives, enhancing Vietnam’s competitiveness against India and Thailand.
Market diversification
Amid geopolitical risks and high tariffs in the U.S. and China, Brazil is a strategic destination for Vietnam to reduce reliance on traditional markets. With 26 companies, including Hung Ca, Cadovimex, Nam Viet, and Hoang Long, operating in Brazil, Vietnam has a solid foundation to deepen market penetration.
Challenges
Seafood exports to Brazil face several hurdles. A ban on importing whole frozen shrimp limits product diversification. Since February 14, 2024, Brazil has suspended tilapia imports due to concerns over the TiLV virus, and potential expanded controls on pangasius warrant caution. Complex administrative procedures and competition from India, Ecuador, and Indonesia require Vietnamese firms to improve quality and meet sustainability certifications like ASC and BAP.
Recommendations for Businesses
To maximize opportunities in Brazil, Vietnamese companies should:
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) As of the end of August 2026, Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the United States reached $21 million, representing a steep 48% year-over-year decline and accounting for 23% of the country's total tilapia export turnover. Frozen fillets accounted for 78% with the remainder consisting of whole frozen tilapia and frozen cuts.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a volatile first half of the year, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to Brazil registered robust growth in July and August 2026. In August alone, export turnover reached $19 million, surging 73% compared to the same period in 2025. Cumulatively for the first eight months, total export value reached $124 million, reflecting an 8% year-over-year increase.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Besides modifying their boats, many fishermen in Dak Lak province are making efforts to venture out to sea to harvest seafood during the rough sea season.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) At the Responsible Seafood Summit and TCRS Shrimp Summit 2026, organized by the GSA (Global Seafood Alliance) in Bangkok, Thailand, the conversation about the future of the shrimp industry began with one of its most important foundations: seedstock quality.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Lithuania surpassed $14 million, up 8% year on year. While the increase remains modest, it is notable given the continued pressure on Vietnamese tuna exports to the EU as a whole. More importantly, export turnover to Lithuania has shown a clearer recovery in recent months, making the market a destination worth monitoring for Vietnamese businesses in Europe.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s squid and octopus exports exceeded $527 million in the first eight months of 2026, marking a 15% year-on-year increase. This growth is particularly notable given the strong baseline established in 2025, when export turnover for the same period reached $458 million, a 13% rise from 2024.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnamese pangasius is gaining traction in Japan, where competitive prices and reliable supplies have helped the fish enter professional distribution channels and a major sushi chain.
(vasep.com.vn) A circular economy does not create a “new type of shrimp” or a new certification. Its value lies in helping the shrimp value chain use resources more efficiently, stabilize production, generate additional value from by-products and build the data and evidence needed to meet increasingly stringent market requirements. This was the perspective shared by VASEP at the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Forum on Promoting a Circular Economy in the Shrimp Industry in the Mekong Delta, held in Can Tho on September 21.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports to CPTPP markets reached $264 million in the first eight months of 2026, up 12% year-on-year and accounting for 17% of the nation’s total pangasius export turnover. In August alone, export value reached $34 million, inching up 3%.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Golden pompano is being selected as a high-value species for the development of high-tech marine aquaculture in Lam Dong Province. In 2026, the provincial Agricultural Extension Center launched a golden pompano farming model using circular HDPE cages in Lien Huong Commune, opening opportunities to apply technology to marine farming at a scale suited to local coastal conditions.
VASEP - HIỆP HỘI CHẾ BIẾN VÀ XUẤT KHẨU THỦY SẢN VIỆT NAM
Chịu trách nhiệm: Ông Nguyễn Hoài Nam - Phó Tổng thư ký Hiệp hội
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