Vietnam’s pangasius slowly occupy market share of Canada's whitefish

According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), from the beginning of the year to the middle of April 2022, the total export value of Vietnamese pangasius to the Canadian market reached $17.2 million, up 69.4% over the same period last year.

Over the last two years, Vietnam's pangasius export to Canada has been stalled due to the impact of Covid-19. But in the first quarter of this year, Vietnam's pangasius export to this market increased sharply. The average export price of frozen pangasius fillets is relatively high, varying from $3.15 to 3.35/kg.

Currently, Canada is the second largest export market in the CPTPP market bloc for Vietnam's pangasius industry. This is a well-priced seafood market with stable growth in the North America bloc.

For a long time, Canada held a close and intimate seafood trade relationship with two markets, the US and China, and mainly with sea products. However, in the past 3 years, Canadian traders have begun to seek and promote the import of farmed seafood, including pangasius and tilapia.

Compared to other markets in the CPTPP bloc, Canada imported a variety of products such as: Frozen pangasius fillets, frozen pangasius slices/blocks/pieces, dried pangasius bubbles, butterfly-cut whole pangasius, diced pangasius with red curry sauce; pangasius with lemon parsley sauce; pangasius with ginger sauce…

Currently, Vietnamese pangasius is still competing with many other white fish products in Canada, in which the standouts are cod and haddock fish products, tilapia. However, in recent years, Vietnamese pangasius products are slowly occupying the market share of other white fish products.