The high cost of airfreight is contributing to Brazilian tilapia producers' struggles to compete in the US fresh fillet market against rival from Colombia and Honduras.
Soaring airfreight costs since the pandemic have forced Brazilian tilapia exporters in recent years to switch from shipping fresh fillets to shipping frozen products on container vessels to the US market.
In 2023, Brazil's tilapia exports to the United States fell 11 percent to 5,060 metric tons, according to official Brazilian government statistics.
Last year, the United States imported 5,168 metric tons of tilapia from Honduras and 17,826 metric tons from Colombia, according to US government statistics.
