US, Brazil boost imports of Vietnamese tilapia in 2025

The figure more than doubled from some $40 million in 2024, demonstrating the increasingly prominent role of tilapia in Vietnam’s seafood export portfolio, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

The United States remained the largest buyer of Vietnamese tilapia fillets last year, with imports valued at $40 million, marking a dramatic 499-percent increase compared to the previous year.

VASEP attributed the spike to strong demand in the U.S. market at a time when supplies from competing producers, including domestic U.S. farms and China, were constrained by tariff pressures and rising production costs.

Notably, Brazil emerged as the fastest-growing market among Vietnam’s top tilapia fillet importers.

Its import value reached nearly $11 million, skyrocketing by an extraordinary 7,552 percent year on year.

“The breakthrough highlighted the significant potential of the South American market for Vietnam’s frozen tilapia fillets,” VASEP noted.

In Asia, Taiwan and Japan maintained stable imports of Vietnamese tilapia.

Vietnam’s exports to Taiwan surged by 123 percent to $1.5 million, while shipments to Japan edged up two percent to $312,000 compared to 2024.

In Europe, Italy recorded a 54-percent increase in the purchase of the Vietnamese tilapia, with its import value exceeding $601,000.

Meanwhile, Vietnam’s tilapia exports to Saudi Arabia and Puerto Rico registered sharply high values in 2025.

Although tilapia shipments to Qatar dipped slightly by 11 percent, the country remained among the top 10 importers of Vietnamese tilapia.

VASEP believes that with strong momentum in 2025, particularly in the United States and Brazil, tilapia fillets are emerging as a promising export product alongside tra fish.

In the coming period, market diversification, improved processing quality, and compliance with safety and sustainability standards will be key factors enabling Vietnamese tilapia to sustain growth and expand its market share globally.

Dr. Bui Ngoc Thanh, aquaculture technical director at the U.S. Soybean Export Council, noted that tilapia has become a global food thanks to its high nutritional value.

Protein content reaches around 26 grams per 100 grams of fish, with lysine levels of 8.4-9 grams and methionine of 2.7-3 grams, comparable to other highly nutritious species such as salmon, cod, sea bass, sardines and U.S. catfish, and only slightly lower than tuna.

Vietnam currently produces around 300,000 metric tons of tilapia annually through various farming systems to serve domestic consumption and export.