Tra fish is a main seafood product for export in Viet Nam. The country has become the largest exporter of seafood to Brazil. — Photo seafood1.vn

HA NOI (Biz Hub) — Viet Nam has overtaken China as the largest exporter of frozen fish fillets to Brazil, according the Vietnam Association of Seafood Entrepreneurs (VASEP).

Vietnamese exporters reportedly shipped about 44,000 tonnes of tra fish in the first eight months of this year, while China exported 33,000 tonnes of seafood.

The quality and average prices of Vietnamese tra fish exports to Brazil have been improving.

From early this year to September 15, Viet Nam has earned US$86.2 million from seafood exports to Brazil, a 19 per cent increase year over year and comprising 7.3 per cent of the country's exports.

Brazil is the second largest importer of Viet Nam's tra fish, after the United States. In 2013, Viet Nam exported seafood worth $123 million to Brazil, 99 per cent of which was tra fish worth nearly $122 million. The Latin American country was among the top ten importers of Viet Nam's seafood last year.

While the volume of seafood exports to Japan is falling due to decreasing demand and issues of tariff and technical barriers, the Brazilian market is becoming more important for Vietnamese exporters, especially those trading in frozen tra fish fillets. — VNS