According to Vietnam Customs, pangasius exports to Colombia in August 2024 reached more than 6 million USD, up 37% compared to August 2023. Since the beginning of this year, Colombia recorded the highest import value in August 2024. Cumulative pangasius exports in the first 8 months of this year to this market reached 35 million USD, up 44% over the same period last year.

According to data from the International Trade Center (ITC), in the first 6 months of 2024, there were a total of 9 suppliers of whitefish to Colombia. Of which, Vietnam is the largest supplier of whitefish (mainly pangasius) to Colombia, with nearly 19 million USD, up 15% over the same period last year. Vietnam accounts for 66% of the total whitefish imported from the world by Colombia in the first half of this year. China is the second largest supplier of whitefish to Colombia after Vietnam with a proportion of 32%. The import value of whitefish from Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, the US, Uruguay, Panama, and Chile to Colombia is almost negligible, and tends to grow negatively.

Some of the white fish products that Colombia imported the most in the first half of this year include: frozen pangasius and catfish HS code 030324 accounting for 44% of the proportion; frozen tilapia fillets HS code 030461 accounting for 30% of the proportion; frozen catfish fillets HS code 030462 accounting for 20% of the proportion in the total value of white fish that this country imported from the world.

Colombian consumers are very fond of frozen pangasius and catfish products HS code 030324. In the first half of this year, this country imported more than 12 million USD of products HS code 030324 from Vietnam, an increase of 27% over the same period last year, accounting for 98% of the total value of Colombia importing this product from the world.

Colombia is the fourth largest economy in Latin America and an advanced freshwater aquaculture country in South America with a strong tilapia product, however, Colombia still maintains stable imports of frozen pangasius products from Vietnam. The export value to this market is even more positive in the last months of the year, when hotels and restaurants increase their demand for stockpiling to serve holidays and festivals at the end of the year.

Vietnam has 18 enterprises participating in exporting white fish (mainly pangasius) to Colombia in the first 8 months of this year. Vinh Tien is recorded as the enterprise exporting the most pangasius to this market, accounting for 45% of the total export value to Colombia. Nam Viet 23%, Cadovimex II 8%, Ben Tre Seafood 6%, Phat Tien Seafood 5% are respectively behind Vinh Tien, being the top enterprises exporting the most pangasius to Colombia.

Source: VASEP