Hanoi (VNS/VNA) – Vietnam’s tilapia exports reached 69.4 million USD in the first half of the year, with Brazil emerging as the largest market after importing 34.9 million USD worth of the fish, a 289-fold increase from the same period in 2025.

According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), citing customs data, Brazil accounted for more than 50% of Vietnam's total tilapia export value during the six-month period.

VASEP said Brazil had become the fastest-growing market for Vietnamese tilapia, helping drive export growth as global demand for whitefish continues to increase.

The association noted that Vietnam was well positioned to strengthen its role in the global tilapia supply chain thanks to favourable farming conditions, abundant aquaculture resources and an increasingly modern production system.

National tilapia output reached around 420,000 tonnes last year, while the country's capacity in seed production, feed manufacturing and seafood processing has continued to improve.

Seafood companies have also built extensive expertise from the country's pangasius industry in production management, quality control, traceability and value-added processing. These advantages are expected to support exports of frozen tilapia fillets, breaded products and retail-ready packaged seafood.

Vietnamese tilapia is also making inroads into higher-value market segments. Recently, a domestic seafood producer shipped its first batch of tilapia fillets to Japan for use in sushi and sashimi after spending about six months refining farming and processing techniques to meet the market's strict quality standards.

The company said it received positive feedback from Japanese buyers and planned to expand exports of value-added tilapia products to the US, Canada and other markets.

According to VASEP, tilapia exports increased from around 41 million USD in 2024 to 99.3 million USD last year and have continued to grow this year, highlighting the sector's strong expansion potential.

The association expects global demand for competitively priced whitefish to remain robust, particularly for frozen fillets, breaded seafood, convenient packaged products and other value-added items. Rising consumption in the US, the EU, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America is expected to create further opportunities for Vietnamese exporters./.