This affirmation was made by Vietnamese Ambassador to Brazil Bui Van Nghi in an interview with a Vietnam News Agency correspondent in South America, as Vietnam’s first container of tilapia weighing 24 tonnes departed Ho Chi Minh City port on November 6 for Brazil through JBS Group, the South American nation’s largest food company.

Nghi emphasised that this is a concrete result of efforts to connect businesses, expand markets, and affirm the quality of Vietnam’s agricultural and aquatic products in the Brazilian market in particular and the Latin American market in general.

This shipment is one of 32 containers, totalling 700 tonnes of tilapia, ordered and imported by JBS Group from Vietnam. The products will first be distributed through HORECA supermarket and distribution network, and showcased in JBS's product display centre in Brazil. JBS currently employs 280,000 people, operates 150 factories across various countries, and is the world’s leading producer of beef and chicken. The company is also investing in two beef processing plants in Vietnam, with a total value of 150 million USD.

According to the plan, this container of tilapia is scheduled to arrive at the Port of Santos on December 17.

According to the ambassador, this event marks a new step forward in bilateral economic and trade cooperation, concretising the mutual agreement on opening farm produce markets as committed by Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Brazilian President Lula da Silva at their talks on the sidelines of the expanded BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro in July. Accordingly, Vietnam is committed to opening its market to Brazilian beef, and Brazil opening its market to Vietnamese tilapia, tra, and basa fish.

Nghi also stated that the Vietnamese Embassy in Brazil will continue to accompany enterprises and localities of both countries, support promotion, connection, and problem-solving efforts so that more Vietnamese products can enter the Brazilian and South American markets./.