Tilapia Fish. (Source: VASEP)
The arrival of Vietnam’s first tilapia export shipment in Brazil is not just a trade milestone but also a testament to the joint efforts in fostering economic and trade cooperation between the two nations. This development comes at a time when bilateral relations have been elevated to a strategic partnership, and Brazil has recognized Vietnam as a market economy.
This was emphasized by Vietnamese Ambassador to Brazil, Bùi Văn Nghị, in an interview with reporters. The first container, carrying 24 tons of tilapia, departed from Ho Chi Minh City on November 6th, bound for Brazil via JBS, Brazil’s largest food corporation.
Ambassador Bùi Văn Nghị highlighted this achievement as a direct result of business networking, market expansion, and the affirmation of Vietnamese agricultural and aquatic product quality in the Brazilian market, and Latin America as a whole.
This shipment is part of a larger order of 32 containers, totaling 700 tons of tilapia, placed by JBS. The fish will be distributed through supermarkets, the HORECA sector, and JBS’s product showcase rooms in Brazil.
The container is scheduled to arrive at the Port of Santos, Brazil, on December 17th. JBS, with 280,000 employees and operations in 150 plants across multiple countries, leads the world in beef and poultry production. The company is also investing $150 million in two beef processing plants in Vietnam.
According to Ambassador Bùi Văn Nghị, this event marks a new phase in economic and trade cooperation between Vietnam and Brazil, fulfilling the commitment made by Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and Brazilian President Lula da Silva during their high-level talks on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro in July 2025. Both countries agreed to open their markets to each other’s agricultural products, with Vietnam welcoming Brazilian beef and Brazil opening its doors to Vietnamese tilapia, catfish, and basa.
Ambassador Bùi Văn Nghị assured that the Vietnamese Embassy in Brazil will continue to support businesses and local authorities from both countries, facilitating promotion, networking, and problem-solving to enhance the presence of Vietnamese products in Brazil and South America.
Marcio Rodrigues, JBS’s Executive Director for Market Access, commented that this event reflects the strengthening partnership between JBS and Vietnam, demonstrated through various initiatives such as investments in Vietnam, job creation, and increased imports of Vietnamese products.
Currently, both nations are advancing negotiations toward a trade agreement between Vietnam and the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR), with Brazil holding the bloc’s rotating presidency in 2025. Efforts are also being made to enhance connections between businesses, associations, and relevant ministries to facilitate bilateral trade growth, market diversification, balanced interests, and sustainable development.
