Brazilian farmed tilapia export volumes rose 49 percent in 2021, helped by a massive uplift in orders from the United States, according to figures from Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation Embrapa.
Growth in production, the weakness of Brazil's real currency against the US dollar and restructuring of the supply chain were all factors that played into the growth, Francisco Medeiros, president of Brazilian aquaculture producers trade body Peixe BR told IntraFish.
The boost in US sales comes despite higher airfreight charges since the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Tilapia accounted for 86 percent of Brazil's total 9,932 metric tons of farmed fish exports by volume in 2021. Those exports were worth $18.2 million (€16.1 million); tilapia accounted for 88 percent of that.
Consignments to the United States have been helped in recent years by the opening of a new air route via Boston, while producers such as Sao Paulo-headquartered GeneSeas also airfreights fresh fillets via Toronto to the North American market.
Shipments of farmed fish to the United States climbed 186 percent last year to 3,880 metric tons.
The United States accounted for 39 percent by volume and 64 percent by value of Brazil's farmed fish shipments overseas.
Brazilian producers mainly export frozen whole fish, fresh, chilled and frozen fillets to the United States.
Shipments of farmed fish to China in 2021 rose 61 percent to 1,840 metric tons. Brazil gets the bulk of its sales in China from frozen whole fish and byproducts unsuitable for human consumption.
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