Brazil halts tilapia imports from Vietnam

Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa) has issued an immediate-effect order to suspend tilapia imports from Vietnam while it reviews the current sanitary protocol in an effort to assess the possibility of the TiLV virus entering the country through international shipments. The measure was first disclosed in the Union’s Official Gazette on Wednesday (14).

In addition, the document instructs the Secretariat of Agricultural Defense (SDA) to take the necessary steps to review the contested sanitary protocol.

The decision was taken after a series of meetings with the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture (MPA), the Sector Chamber of Fish Production and Industry, and tilapia farmers.

“It’s about prudence, ensuring quality and healthiness to Brazilian production,” said Agriculture and Livestock Minister Carlos Fávaro. “Brazil is a major producer and exporter of food because it heavily invests in agricultural defense, preserving the quality of our products. We cannot and will never compromise on this matter. This is very important,” he added.

The decision remains in effect until the review of the sanitary protocol is completed.

The chart below shows fish imports (hs 0300 – 0305) – tilapia included – from Vietnam to Brazil between Jan 2019 and Dec 2023. The data is from DataLiner.

Fish Imports from Vietnam | Jan 2019 – Dec 2023 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

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