The volume of tilapia imports in the United States has significantly decreased, with the proportion of basa fish noticeably increasing.

Although the import volume in the first quarter of this year has increased, the Trump tariffs have caused a huge impact on the entire whitefish farming market, with tilapia at an absolute disadvantage compared to basa fish. From April 8 to May 12, there was almost a vacuum period for imports, with the highest tariff on tilapia reaching 179%, which dropped to 55% after the Geneva talks. In comparison, the tariff on Vietnamese basa fish is 10%-20%. As of now, all signs and data indicate that the total U.S. tilapia imports this year may reach a new low since 2012; the emerging frozen tilapia is also suffering a heavy blow due to the 50% tariff imposed by Brazil. In the 32nd week (last week), the price of 7-9 oz frozen tilapia fillets in the U.S. wholesale market dropped by $0.05/lb, with no significant positive signs in the market. Importers are holding a large amount of inventory, and retail demand is weak, with no expected supply shortages in the short term. U.S. merchants are ...