Pangasius from Vietnam for Mexico and Colombia: Import Rules and Specs

Mexico and Colombia are the two largest Latin American buyers of Vietnamese pangasius, and they buy it differently. Mexico takes mostly frozen fillets and portions for supermarkets and foodservice. Colombia buys a large share as whole frozen fish alongside fillets. The paperwork differs as well: Mexican importers clear the product through SENASICA, Colombian importers through INVIMA, and Colombia asks for an HACCP certificate with every shipment.

How much pangasius do Mexico and Colombia buy from Vietnam?

In 2025 Vietnam shipped about US$77 million of pangasius to Mexico and US$56 million to Colombia, according to VASEP figures reported by Baird Maritime. Total pangasius exports that year came to nearly US$2.2 billion.

Vietnam is the dominant whitefish supplier in Colombia. In the first half of 2024, whole frozen pangasius under HS 0303.24 made up 44% of Colombia's whitefish imports and frozen fillets under HS 0304.62 another 20%, and Vietnam supplied 98% of Colombia's HS 0303.24 imports. In Mexico, the two main lines from Vietnam are frozen fillets and frozen portions.

What does a Mexican importer need to clear Vietnamese pangasius?

SENASICA, the agriculture ministry's food safety service, sets the sanitary conditions for imported fishery goods. The importer looks up the product in SENASICA's online module of import requirements by choosing the goods, their use, the country of origin and the country of shipment. The module returns the combination of requirements, including what the Vietnamese health certificate must state, and the importer then applies for the SENASICA import certificate. If a combination is missing from the module, the importer asks SENASICA for a requirements sheet (hoja de requisitos) before the goods ship.

Once in Mexico, the product must meet NOM-242-SSA1-2009, the sanitary standard for fresh, chilled, frozen and processed fishery products. Retail packs also need Spanish labelling under NOM-051.

Mexico and Vietnam are both parties to the CPTPP, so fillets with valid proof of origin qualify for the agreement's preferential tariff. Your customs broker can confirm the current rate for your tariff line.

What does a Colombian importer need?

INVIMA, Colombia's food and drug authority, controls imports of fish and fishery products. Its notice of July 2026 lists the steps for higher-risk foods of animal origin:

• Prior approval (visto bueno) from INVIMA on the import licence, requested through the VUCE single window under Decree 2478 of 2018. INVIMA says imports currently depend on this step.
• A sanitary inspection certificate for import (CIS) from INVIMA when the goods enter the country.
• An HACCP certificate for every shipment of fishery products, with the full details of the processing plant. It must be issued by the exporting country's competent authority or an accredited third party, and a copy goes to the INVIMA office at the port of entry (INVIMA Circular 1240 of 2013).

INVIMA has also published a draft resolution under which foreign plants will need to be registered (habilitación) before they can export these foods to Colombia. Once it takes effect, ask your supplier for proof that its packing plant is on INVIMA's list.

Colombia has no free trade agreement with Vietnam, so pangasius pays the standard tariff. Check the rate with your broker before you price the container.

Which pangasius specs should you agree before the first container?

Most claims in this trade come from specs nobody wrote down. Agree these points in the contract, and repeat them on the order confirmation:

• Product form: well-trimmed fillets, portions, steaks or whole frozen fish (headed and gutted or whole round).
• Size grade in grams per piece for fillets, for example 120-170, 170-220 or 220 up, and pieces per kilogram for portions.
• Freezing method: IQF or interleaved block, plus carton weight and inner bag.
• Glaze percentage, with net weight declared without the glaze. The Codex standard for quick frozen fish fillets (CXS 190-1995) asks for net contents exclusive of glaze.
• Fillet colour and trim, checked against a reference photo that both sides sign.
• Label text in Spanish, including the commercial name and the scientific name, Pangasianodon hypophthalmus.

Our guide to buying frozen pangasius fillets from Vietnam goes through trim types and size grades in more detail.

Buyer checklist before you confirm the order

• Mexico: requirements pulled from the SENASICA module for pangasius from Vietnam, and the import certificate applied for.
• Colombia: INVIMA prior approval on the import licence through VUCE.
• Colombia: HACCP certificate for the shipment, naming the packing plant.
• Mexico: CPTPP proof of origin arranged for the preferential rate.
• Glaze, net weight and size grade identical on the contract, label and packing list.
• Spanish label artwork approved before cartons and bags go to print.

TBESFOOD packs pangasius fillets, steaks and whole fish from ASC-certified farms and prepares the document set for each destination. Our quality page lists the certifications and plant registrations behind every shipment.

FAQ

Is basa the same as pangasius?

In Latin American retail, "filete de basa" is commonly used for fillets of Pangasianodon hypophthalmus, the farmed pangasius Vietnam exports in volume. Strictly, basa is a related species, Pangasius bocourti. Put the scientific name on the label so the product description matches the health certificate.

Does Colombia require an HACCP certificate for imported pangasius?

Yes. INVIMA Circular 1240 of 2013 makes an HACCP certificate a requirement for every shipment of fishery and aquaculture products imported into Colombia, presented at the INVIMA office at the port of entry.

Can Vietnamese pangasius enter Mexico at a reduced tariff?

Yes, when it has valid proof of origin under the CPTPP, which both Mexico and Vietnam have joined. The preferential rate depends on the tariff line, so confirm it with your customs broker.

Can TBESFOOD pack with Spanish labels for Mexico or Colombia?

Yes. Send the label text, pack sizes and destination port, and we will reply with a spec sheet and the document list for that shipment.

Sources

• Baird Maritime: Vietnam's 2025 pangasius exports surpass $2 billion
• VietFish Magazine: Vietnam's pangasius captures over half of Colombia's whitefish market
• INVIMA: requirements for exporting higher-risk foods of animal origin to Colombia (July 2026)
• INVIMA Circular 1240 of 2013: HACCP certificate for imported fishery products
• Mexico VUCE: SENASICA import certificate procedure
• Secretaría de Economía: NOM-242-SSA1-2009
• FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius: Standard for Quick Frozen Fish Fillets, CXS 190-1995