Buying Frozen Pangasius Fillets from Vietnam: Trim, Size and Packing Explained

Pangasius is one of Vietnam's largest seafood exports. Shipments reached USD 1.74 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 10.7% year on year. China is still the largest buyer, while the Middle East, Brazil and Japan are growing.

Pangasius looks like a simple product, but two offers for "frozen pangasius fillet" can describe very different fish. Trim, size, freezing method, glaze and packing all change how the fillet performs and what it costs. This guide covers the points buyers should fix in the specification before ordering.

1. Trim: well-trimmed, semi-trimmed or untrimmed

Trim describes how much of the red meat, fat and belly flap is removed after filleting.

• Well-trimmed: red meat, fat and belly fat removed, leaving a clean white fillet. This is the usual choice for retail and for markets that pay for appearance.
• Semi-trimmed: part of the red meat or fat is left on. It costs less and suits processing and some foodservice uses.
• Untrimmed: the fillet as cut, with red meat and fat left on. It is mainly used as raw material for further processing.

Colour should be agreed alongside trim. White, light pink and light yellow fillets come from the same species and are graded and priced differently.

2. Size grades

Fillets are sold by weight per piece. TBESFOOD supplies pangasius fillets graded 80–120 g, 120–170 g, 170–220 g and 220 g up per piece.

Smaller grades suit portion packs and ready meals. Larger grades are used for foodservice portions and for cutting into steaks or strips. Buyers should also agree the tolerance within each grade.

3. Freezing and packing

The freezing method decides how the product is handled at the buyer's end:

• IQF: each fillet frozen separately, so the user can take out what is needed.
• IWP: individually wrapped fillets, mainly for retail and portion control.
• Bulk or block: larger packs for processors and distributors who handle full cartons.
• Retail packs: printed bags to the buyer's design.

Besides fillets, pangasius is also traded as steaks, HGT (headed, gutted and tailed) and whole round.

4. Glaze, net weight and treatment

Glaze is the thin layer of ice that protects frozen fish from drying out. It also adds weight, so the contract should state the glaze percentage and whether price and labels refer to net weight after glaze is removed.

Some markets limit or ban the use of moisture-retaining additives in fillets. Buyers should state in the contract whether treatment is allowed and at what level, and ask for a test report on the first lots.

5. Where pangasius is growing

Market demand shapes the specification. China buys across all grades and forms. In the Middle East, exports reached USD 113 million in the first eight months of 2026, up 7%, and Saudi Arabia grew 52% to USD 37 million. Brazil imported more than 50,000 tonnes of Vietnamese pangasius in 2025, about 49% more than the year before. In Japan, Vietnamese pangasius has entered professional foodservice channels, including a major sushi chain.

Each of these markets has its own registration and labelling rules, which we cover in our guides for Japan, Korea and China.

Working with TBESFOOD

TBESFOOD COMPANY LIMITED, a member of TBES Group, has exported seafood from Vietnam since 2016 and ships to 30 countries. Pangasius and vannamei shrimp are our core products. To receive specifications and sample photos for pangasius fillets, contact our export team at export@tbesfood.com.

Sources

• Pangasius exports, 9M/2026: Báo Thanh tra, citing VASEP, 14 October 2026 https://thanhtra.com.vn/
• Pangasius exports to the Middle East, 8M/2026: VASEP, October 2026 https://vasep.com.vn/
• Pangasius imports by Brazil, 2025: FAO GLOBEFISH, GLOBEFISH Highlights, Pangasius, 2026 https://www.fao.org/in-action/globefish/
• Vietnamese pangasius in Japan: VASEP, 1 October 2026 https://seafood.vasep.com.vn/