Brazil ramps up imports of Vietnamese pangasius in the first quarter of the year

Vietnam’s pangasius exports to Brazil reached nearly USD 28 million in the first quarter of 2024, surging by 44% compared to the same period in 2023.

Vietnam’s pangasius exports to Brazil surged to US$14 million in January 2024, marking an impressive 83% increase compared to January 2023. However, in February 2024, Brazil’s pangasius consumption dipped slightly to nearly US$6 million, representing a 6% decline from the previous month. Nevertheless, March 2024 witnessed a strong rebound, with pangasius exports to Brazil reaching over US$8 million, indicating a 48% growth compared to the same period in 2023.

The majority of the frozen fillets and segments imported by Brazil under the HS code 0304 are Vietnamese pangasius. During the first quarter of 2024, the amount of this item sent to Brazil was close to USD 28 million, which represented 99.6% of the entire import value and a 44% rise over the same period in 2023. Remarkably, Brazil bought more than USD 110,000 worth of frozen pangasius products from Vietnam in the first three months of this year compared to very little imports of the same product during the same period last year.

In February 2024, the average export price of Vietnamese pangasius to Brazil reached USD 2.67 per kg, the lowest level in three years. Compared to the same period last year, the average export price of pangasius has decreased by 12%–14% in the first three months of this year.

The export volume of pangasius to this market has showed an opposite trend, despite the ongoing reduction in prices. Almost 7,000 tons of pangasius were sent to Brazil in the first quarter of 2024, a stunning 79% increase over the same period in 2023. With nearly 3,000 tons, January 2024 had the biggest growth rate in the first quarter—a 183% increase over the same period previous year. Pangasius export quantities to Brazil reached above 1,800 tons in February and 1,700 tons in March 2024, respectively. These figures represent increases of 23% and 46% over the corresponding month in 2023.

According to the latest data from ITC, in 2023, Brazil imported nearly USD 98 million worth of pangasius from Vietnam, primarily frozen fillets. Vietnam remains the largest supplier of white meat fish, mainly pangasius, to Brazil. Meanwhile, Norway stands at 4th place with USD 43 million; China ranks 5th with USD 15 million, the US with over USD 1 million, and is the 6th largest supplier of white meat fish to Brazil.

The top 5 Vietnamese pangasius exporters to Brazil in the first quarter of this year include: Hung Ca 2 Corporation with a 26%, South Vina CO.,LTD with 16%, Hoang Long with 11%, Cafish with 10%, and Frozen Food Vietnam with a 9% of total export value to the market.

(Source: https://seafood.vasep.com.vn/)