브라질 수산물 인사이트

Core Tip: Recently, Brazilian tilapia producer Brazilian Fish announced plans to accelerate the genetic improvement of tilapia through genome editing technology, marking a breakthrough in the field of genetic technology. This innovative move is the result of cooperation between Brazilian Fish and the Aquaculture Technology Center (CAT) of the United States, and aims to improve the disease resistance, feed efficiency and growth rate of farmed tilapia.

Itaú Unibanco's chief economist, Mario Mesquita, assessed this Tuesday, the 18th, that the benefits that Brazil could obtain in a new trade war triggered by Donald Trump's tariffs should be smaller than in the Republican's first term. From 2018 to 2020, Trump's first trade war, Mesquita recalled, benefited Brazil through the exchange of American agricultural products, mainly soybeans, in the Chinese market. Now, he compared, Brazil already has a large market share in soybean exports to China, so the room for growth has decreased. In addition, this time, Brazil could also be the target of broader tariffs from Trump, who threatens to apply the principle of reciprocity against countries that charge high tariffs on imports of American products. There will be negotiations, but the economist understands that the most likely outcome today is for the United States to raise tariffs, considering that Brazil is unlikely to lower the tax charged on the entry of products from the United States.

Tilapia production increased in the second half of last year, and the average weight of the fish increased. Despite lower domestic prices, Brazil's tilapia exports have increased thanks to a favorable exchange rate and ample supply. In December last year, Brazil exported 2,100 tons of tilapia products, including fillets and by-products, an increase of 40.3% month-on-month and a surge of 202.3% compared to December 2023.