(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the United States recorded remarkable growth in 2025, opening up major opportunities while also presenting considerable challenges. The U.S. remains the largest importer of Vietnamese tilapia fillets, with export turnover reaching USD 40 million—an increase of up to 499% compared to 2024. This impressive growth reflects strong demand in the U.S. market, as supply from competing countries such as China has been constrained by tariffs and rising production costs.
Tilapia continues to expand in the U.S. market
The growth momentum has continued into early 2026. In February alone, tilapia exports to the U.S. reached USD 852,000, accounting for 10% of total export value for this product. Cumulatively, in the first two months of the year, exports reached around USD 4 million, up 31% year-on-year. Although there was a slight slowdown in February, this is mainly attributed to seasonality, as importers had significantly increased inventories in Q4 2025 to meet year-end demand.
In the U.S. market, frozen tilapia fillets remain the key product. In February, imports of this item exceeded USD 30 million, ranking second among whitefish products, indicating that demand remains high and stable.
Tariff policies affect U.S. importers’ sentiment
However, the positive outlook comes with notable challenges. New U.S. tariff policies are creating caution among importers. The imposition of a 10% tariff under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974—with the possibility of increasing to 15% in the near future—along with ongoing trade investigations involving several major partners, including Vietnam, is making the export environment more unpredictable.
Competition from Chinese and Brazilian tilapia
Despite the volatility and complexity of the U.S. market, major exporters such as China and Brazil, while seeking to expand into alternative markets, are unlikely to offset the scale and value of the U.S. market in the short term—especially as new markets require time to develop demand for tilapia products.
In 2025, leading exporters like China and Brazil were significantly affected by U.S. tariff policies, reducing their competitiveness in this market. However, entering 2026, as tariffs are adjusted downward to around 10%, companies from these countries are expected to step up their return to the U.S. market. With advantages in production scale and cost efficiency, China and Brazil could quickly expand their market share, creating direct pressure on Vietnamese tilapia.
Geopolitical factors and production scale squeeze margins
In addition, geopolitical instability—particularly conflicts in the Middle East—has driven up fuel prices, leading to higher transportation costs and narrowing profit margins for exporters. Furthermore, Vietnam’s tilapia production scale remains relatively modest, with limitations in technology and seed supply compared to major competitors, reducing competitiveness in both pricing and supply capacity.
In this context, to fully capitalize on opportunities in the U.S. market, Vietnam’s tilapia industry needs to strengthen production capacity, optimize costs, and proactively adapt to fluctuations in global trade policies.