The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) reported that the United States remained the largest importer of Vietnamese tilapia fillets in 2025. Export turnover to this market reached USD 40 million, up nearly 500% compared to 2024.
This remarkable growth reflects strong demand from the U.S. market amid supply difficulties faced by competing producers such as the United States and China due to tariffs and rising production costs.
Notably, Brazil emerged as the fastest-growing market among Vietnam’s top importers of tilapia fillets. Export turnover to Brazil reached USD 11 million in 2025, soaring by 7,552% year-on-year. This surge highlights the significant potential of the South American market for Vietnam’s frozen tilapia fillets, particularly in segments serving domestic consumption and food processing.
In contrast to the upward trend in the United States and Brazil, exports to Russia and Mexico in 2025 declined by 29% and 38%, respectively. This reflects the cautious stance of importers in these markets amid economic volatility, high logistics costs, and increasing competition from domestic and regional suppliers.
In Asia, Taiwan (China) and Japan maintained relatively stable demand. Exports to Taiwan (China) reached USD 1.5 million, up 123%, while exports to Japan totaled USD 312,000, a modest increase of 2% compared to 2024. In Europe, Italy recorded growth of 54%, with export turnover exceeding USD 601,000, indicating steady demand in this market.
Exports to Saudi Arabia and Puerto Rico in 2025 either recorded new values or rose sharply compared to the previous year, reflecting Vietnam’s expanding market reach in the Middle East and niche destinations. Meanwhile, although exports to Qatar declined slightly by 11%, the country remained among the top 10 largest importers.
Building on the strong growth momentum of 2025—particularly in major markets such as the United States and Brazil—tilapia fillets are gradually establishing themselves as one of Vietnam’s most promising seafood export products, alongside pangasius.
The global shift toward convenient, ready-to-cook products that are competitively priced and aligned with healthy eating trends has created substantial room for tilapia to expand. As global supply chains stabilize further, tilapia could become an additional spearhead in Vietnam’s seafood export diversification strategy if opportunities are effectively leveraged.
However, growth prospects in 2026 will depend not only on market conditions but also on the intrinsic capacity of enterprises and the entire production chain. Diversifying export markets to reduce reliance on a few traditional destinations; investing in deeper processing and quality enhancement; tightening control over farming areas, feed, and antibiotic use; and ensuring full compliance with food safety, environmental, and sustainability standards are essential prerequisites.
As importing markets increasingly emphasize traceability, sustainability certification, and social responsibility, Vietnamese tilapia must shift from competing primarily on price to competing on quality and value addition in order to sustain growth momentum.
In the EU market—considered to have significant potential but also considerable challenges—competition is expected to intensify, particularly from Brazil. Facing trade barriers and mounting pressure in the U.S. market, Brazil’s tilapia industry is accelerating expansion into the EU. With advantages in large-scale farming, relatively integrated production chains, consistent product quality, and strong compliance with the EU’s stringent technical, food safety, and traceability standards, Brazilian tilapia is emerging as a direct competitor to Vietnam’s products.
In this context, Vietnamese enterprises face the dual challenge of maintaining market share while strengthening overall competitiveness. This requires systematic investment in processing technology, cost optimization, stronger linkages between farming areas, processing plants, and exporters to ensure consistent quality control, and enhanced brand building and supply chain transparency.
Proactively meeting international sustainability standards and flexibly adapting to evolving regulations on environmental protection, emissions, and social responsibility will serve as a “passport” enabling Vietnamese tilapia not only to remain competitive in the EU but also to expand into other high-standard markets.
Therefore, 2026 is viewed as a pivotal year. If market opportunities are effectively seized and competitive pressures are successfully navigated, Vietnamese tilapia can redefine its position on the global seafood export map, becoming an important complementary pillar alongside pangasius in the industry’s long-term development strategy.