The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) is raising alarms following the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina’s decision to ban the sale and consumption of Vietnamese tilapia.
Santa Catarina announced the administrative measure on 17 December 2025 targeting all forms of imported tilapia, including fresh and frozen products, citing the purported risk of tilapia lake virus (TiLV). VASEP said in a statement on 23 December that this move by the state government is causing significant apprehension among the trade community, as it appears to conflict with Brazil’s federal authorizations.
Santa Catarina’s restriction follows the Brazilian federal government’s official decision to lift a ban on Vietnamese tilapia imports starting in April 2025. The state’s new ban contradicts that decision by Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply (MAPA), which had already completed its risk assessment and approved the imports for the fish from Vietnam.
Experts and businesses cited by VASEP argue that the Santa Catarina’s decision lacks a solid scientific basis, as no federal authority has confirmed pathogenic risks in Vietnamese tilapia, including TiLV.
"In fact, the tilapia products exported from Vietnam strictly comply with international sanitary standards set by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and specific Brazilian federal requirements," the association said.
Some firms in Vietnam said that Santa Catarina’s unilateral restrictions bypass federal authority, violating both Brazilian law and WTO mandates. Beyond the immediate economic toll on Vietnamese exporters, these businesses warn that such local barriers set a dangerous precedent that may undermine the trade environment between Vietnam and Brazil, VASEP said.
Santa Catarina is a major exporter of meat and grains to Vietnam, and the trade group implied the implementation of these protectionist measures threatens to undermine the principle of reciprocity in bilateral trade. Their measures may also affect ongoing efforts to negotiate a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) between Vietnam and the MERCOSUR bloc where Brazil is a founding member, VASEP said.
To resolve the impasse, VASEP said there needs to be high-level dialogue and diplomatic channels to reaffirm scientific facts and protect the legitimate interests of businesses while maintaining a stable trade environment between the two nations.
The ban comes as the first shipments of Vietnamese tilapia to Brazil in over a year were slated to arrive in the country. In November 2025, Vietnam dispatched an initial 24-metric ton (MT) shipment of tilapia from Ho Chi Minh City to Brazil’s JBS Group. This delivery is part of a larger 700-MT purchase by JBS, intended for distribution across Brazil, according to Vietnam News Agency in November.
Vietnam exported seafood, mainly pangasius, worth USD 160.1 million (EUR 136.1 million) to Brazil in the first 11 months of this year, surging nearly 37 percent year-on-year, the latest Vietnamese customs data showed.
