The government of Canada has gained access to five export markets for its fish, seafood, and aquatic exports.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced on 8 June that it has gained either renewed access or new access to markets in Armenia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Oman, and Vietnam. The agency said the new market access will support Canada’s push to diversify its trading partners and open the door for a range of Canadian companies to ship products overseas.
"Canada's fish, seafood, and aquatic product producers are known around the world for their high‑quality products, and today's market access gains will help them reach even more customers,” Canada Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Heath MacDonald said in a release. “By working closely with our international partners and relying on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's [CFIA] scientific and technical expertise, we are opening new doors for Canadian exporters and supporting jobs in coastal and rural communities.”
CFIA said it has regained access for chilled and frozen finfish fillets and steaks to the Vietnamese market following the acceptance of a Canadian health certificate. Canada lost access for those products in 2022, when the country introduced new animal health requirements.
Outside the renewed access to Vietnam, the other four countries will all be new markets for Canada. The country can now export all its live and non-live fish and seafood products to Oman and to Armenia. Canada can also now export aquaculture finfish products to Brazil, opening availability beyond wild-caught products.
The remaining access in Costa Rica is for ornamental fish feed, which the CFIA said was a “niche but growing market” in the country.
"Canada has the best seafood in the world. When buyers see a Canadian product, they know they're getting something sustainable and responsibly harvested,” Canada Minister of Fisheries Joanne Thompson said in a release. “We already export to more than 100 countries. That demand is real, and it's growing. We are opening new markets, finding new buyers, and making sure the benefits flow back to harvesters and the coastal communities they call home."
The Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance and Fisheries Council of Canada (FCC) both welcomed the news.
"CFIA's work to secure new and expanded market access opportunities helps support the growth and resilience of Canada's wild-capture fish and seafood sector,” FCC President Jason McLinton said. “Ongoing collaboration between government and industry is critical to ensuring Canadian companies meet evolving international requirements and compete successfully in global markets."
Of the new markets that it gained new or renewed access to, Vietnam is the largest consumer by volume according to FAO statistics, with over 4 million metric tons (MT) consumed by its residents each year. Brazil is the second-largest market, with between 1.6 million and 2 million MT of consumption annually, and the remaining countries combined all make up less than 200,000 MT of consumption.
Canada exported CAD 93 million (USD 66 million, EUR 58 million) worth of seafood to Vietnam in 2025, according to statistics shared by the Canadian government. Brazil was a relatively small market for the products and imported just CAD 2.2 million (USD 1.6 million, EUR 1.4 million) worth of seafood products from Canada.
