A farmer harvests tilapia fish (Illustrative image. Source: VNA)

Previously, in February 2024, the MAPA decided to temporarily suspend the import of Vietnamese tilapia to review the risk of TiLV (Tilapia tilapinevirus) infection. From November 2023 to February 2024, Brazil granted 22 import licenses for tilapia fillets from Viet Nam and rejected two others.

The Viet Nam Trade Office in Brazil said on April 24 that the Brazilian Gazette published the MAPA’s decision on lifting the suspension.

The Brazilian government said that allowing tilapia fish imports from Viet Nam is an irreversible decision and is part of its negotiations in late March to open the beef market in Viet Nam. The MAPA affirmed that this import authorisation does not affect the high standards of national health defence.

Based on the Import Risk Analysis (ARI) conducted following warnings from the domestic fisheries industry in 2024 regarding the potential introduction of TiLV through imports, the MAPA concluded that the risk of importing tilapia fillets is negligible. At the same time, it said that in 2020, the process was updated for establishing import health requirements applicable to the import of fresh, chilled or frozen fish and eviscerated fish from aquaculture for human consumption. These requirements are based on technical principles and are harmonised with the guidelines of the Aquatic Animal Health Code of the World Organisation for Animal Health.

According to the Viet Nam Trade Office in Brazil, the next negotiations between the two sides will focus on completing the final technical steps for Brazil to allow the import of all types of tra fish fillet products meeting internationally recognised standards and practices. In return, Viet Nam will open its doors to Brazilian beef products. Brazilian beef offal products and Vietnamese shrimp products of all kinds will continue to be put on table in the coming time.