EN 
PT_BR 
The new import tariffs imposed by the United States on Brazilian fish farming products, which began in August, have strongly impacted the sector. In terms of revenue, the drop was 28% in the third quarter of this year, compared to the same period in 2024. In terms of tonnage, the drop reached 26% in the same comparison. The third quarter also had the lowest results in 2025, both in tonnage and revenue.
From July to September, Brazil exported almost 3,000 tons of aquaculture products, generating revenue of U$ 13.3 million. Breaking down each month, the decreases are striking. In tons, 1,390 were exported in July, dropping to just over 800 in August and less than 780 in September. In terms of revenue, the rounded figures are U$ 5.7 million, U$ 3.9 million, and U$ 3.7 million, respectively. These and other data are available in [source/resource - context needed]. New Foreign Trade Newsletter from the Fish farming, referring to the third quarter of 2025.
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The publication is edited periodically by Embrapa Fisheries and Aquaculture (Palmas-TO) and has the partnership of the Brazilian Association of Fish Farming (Brazilian FishThe person responsible is Manoel Pedroza, a researcher at Embrapa. According to him, during the analyzed period, “another highlight was the imports of tilapia fillets originating from Vietnam, which totaled US$195,048. Some of these fillets from Vietnam arrived in Brazil at a FOB price of R$16.70/kg, which is much lower than the price of the Brazilian product and, therefore, may represent a risk to the tilapia chain in Brazil.” The wholesale price of tilapia fillets in Brazil is around R$31.00.
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Specifically for the United States, the main destination for Brazilian fish farming products, the drop was greater: 32%. “Industry experts expected a larger drop, but some companies managed to maintain part of their sales through negotiations with American importers. However, some exporters say it is not possible to maintain these negotiations in the long term; therefore, if the tariff increase continues, it is likely that there will be a greater reduction in sales in the last quarter of 2025,” the researcher explains.
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Tilapia accounts for 99% of Brazilian aquaculture exports to the United States. In addition to a negative variation of 32% when comparing the third quarters of 2025 and 2024, this year there was a decline over time. In the first quarter, it was U$ 16.2 million; in the second, the value fell to U$ 15.5 million; and in the third quarter it was U$ 11.5 million. In other words, the scenario, which was already challenging, became even more difficult with Donald Trump's tariff hikes.
And what comes next fundamentally depends on whether or not the tariffs, which increased from 10% to 50%, are maintained. “If the current scenario continues, it is likely that we will see an even greater reduction in exports in the last quarter of 2025. Exporters have been trying to find new markets abroad, but this takes time and it is difficult to find other countries that will absorb the same volume of tilapia that was exported to the United States – especially considering that the European market remains closed to Brazilian fish exports,” projects Manoel.
