The tilapia industry is facing a "double storm": China's exports face new challenges, and the US market structure is accelerating reshuffle

Since February 2024, the United States has imposed a 25% tariff on Chinese tilapia imports, leading to a decline in consumption and market share. This has been compounded by the increase in prices due to raw material costs and export tariffs, and the shift towards Vietnamese basa fish and other substitutes. In response, China is implementing new regulations to standardize and sustain its tilapia export industry, which is facing challenges due to high tariffs and the need for farms to register for export qualifications by December 2024. These challenges are expected to drive up costs in the short term but promote industry improvement in the long term. The tariffs and regulations present significant obstacles for the Chinese tilapia industry but also offer opportunities for structural reorganization and expansion into international markets.

Tensions intensify, tilapia tariffs hit Since February 2024, the United States has imposed a 25% tariff on Chinese tilapia imports, which has undoubtedly brought unprecedented competitive pressure to Chinese exporters. The National Fisheries Institute (NFI) of the United States revealed at the recent Global Seafood Market Conference that the consumption of tilapia in the United States is decreasing year by year, and the market is gradually being eroded by other substitutes. Data show that 70% of the current tilapia imports in the US market are frozen fillets, 15% are fresh ice fillets, and the rest are in the form of whole fish. At the same time, Vietnam's basa fish is emerging. According to NFI data, by 2024, the market share of basa fish and tilapia in the US market has reached 60:40, and it is expected that by 2025, basa fish will further replace the market share of Chinese tilapia. In addition, countries such as Indonesia, Egypt, and India are accelerating the development of ...