BOSTON — Apex-Brasil, the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency, along with the Brazilian Association of the Fishing Industry (ABIPESCA) and the Brazilian Fish Farming Association (PeixeBR), will help bring 11 Brazilian companies to exhibit their seafood products at Seafood Expo North America. As North America’s largest seafood exposition, the Expo brings together thousands of buyers, suppliers, and aquaculture professionals from around the world who will meet, network, and explore the newest seafood offerings on the market during the three-day event.
The United States is historically the largest destination in the world for Brazilian seafood, with export sales to the country growing approximately 17.2% in value per year since 2016, according to Apex-Brasil. Alberto Carlos Bicca, Agribusiness Coordinator at Apex-Brasil, commented on Brazil’s vision for increasing its role in the global seafood market: “We predict a continued upward trajectory for exports of Brazilian seafood to the United States, especially as events like the Seafood Expo allow us to gain more visibility and recognition and explore options for market expansion abroad. In the long-term, we expect – through continued internationalization and exposure of Brazilian companies to opportunities like the Seafood Expo – it is possible for Brazil to reach a target of $1.5 billion annual seafood exports to North America.”
The 11 companies attending this year’s event will showcase some of the U.S. market’s most desired Brazilian seafood exports, including lobster, with $72.6 million USD worth of the product imported by the United States in 2021, miscellaneous fish – such as tuna, snapper, sardines, tilapia, and other marine fishes – with $44.7 million USD imported by the country last year, and frozen snapper, of which $36.3 million USD was imported by the United States in 2021. Brazilian tilapia, specifically, is growing in popularity in the U.S. market, with 64% of total Brazilian exports of the fish bound for North American shores.
Located at booth #1745 on the trade show floor of Seafood Expo North America, a full list of participating Brazilian exhibitors include:
- Profand Group/Produmar: Profand Group is a multinational company within the global fishing sector. Produmar is a brand under Profand specializing in the production, processing, and sale of high-quality frozen seafood, including Mahi Mahi, giant squid, octopus, and hake.
- Copacol Matriz: Founded in 1963, Copacol is one of the main Brazilian companies in food production and produces both chicken and fish. The company’s seafood products include tilapia, hake, tambaqui, and more.
- Allmare Alimentos: One of the largest Brazilian companies in the fishing sector, Allmare operates in national and international markets, regularly shipping to the United States, Europe, and Asia. The company specializes in lobster, shrimp, and a variety of fish.
- Bello Alimentos/Frango Bello/Mar & Terra: Bello Alimentos was founded in 2006 in the region of Itaquiraí in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Frango Bello, a company under Bello Alimentos that produces poultry for a domestic and international audience, oversees Mar & Terra, a brand specializing in the production of seafood such as pintado, pacu, pirarucu, tambaqui, and tilapia.
- Cais do Atlântico: With more than 50 years of experience in the sector, Atlântico operates in three locations in the south of Brazil. The company produces a variety of seafood such as bluefish, hake, yellowfin tuna, skipjack tuna, rocker, mackerel, and more.
- JC Alimentos/JC Pescados: Founded in 1964, JC Alimentos is a wholesale distribution company that has delivered quality goods to Brazil for over 50 years. JC Pescados is a brand under JC Alimentos that offers various types of fish and crustaceans to the domestic and international markets, including tuna, lobster, shrimp, and other sea fish.
- Independent Brazil: Acting as a commercial intermediary, Independent Brazil has more than 20 years of experience importing and exporting seafood, as well as fish skin and scales, to the international market.
- Central de Pescados Mourão: Central de Pescados Mourão exports to several countries in continental Europe and North America. The company is committed to the effective deliverability and traceability of its fish products.
- Blaze: Blaze is a seafood wholesaler and distributor located in Florianopolis, Santa Catarina, in the south of Brazil. It specializes in fin fish such as croaker, Mahi Mahi, monkfish, mullet, and more, as well as other categories of seafood including octopus, roe, prawns, and scampi.
- MCassab Group/Fider Pescados: Founded in 1928, the MCassab Group has three major business areas: Product Distribution, Consumer Goods, and Incorporation and Holdings. Fider Pescados is a brand under the MCassab Group specializing in fresh and frozen tilapia products.
- Zaltana Pescados: Zaltana Pescados’ products include Brazilian fish native to the Amazon region such as tambaqui, pintado, pirarucu, and tambatinga. The company’s mission is to meet and exceed the expectations of customers, partners, employees, and families around the world.
As part of its work to foster and develop Brazilian exports, Apex-Brasil views the seafood industry as a key priority sector within the larger food and beverage industry. To learn more about Apex-Brasil’s other trade sector projects, visit: http://www.apexbrasil.com.br/en/trade-sectors.
About Apex-Brasil
The Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil) works to promote Brazilian products and services abroad, and to attract foreign investment to strategic sectors of the Brazilian economy. Apex-Brasil organizes several initiatives aiming to promote Brazilian exports abroad. The Agency’s efforts comprise trade and prospective missions, business rounds, support for the participation of Brazilian companies in major international trade fairs, arrangement of technical visits of buyers and opinion makers to learn about the Brazilian productive structure, and other select activities designed to strengthen the country’s branding abroad. Apex-Brasil also plays a leading role in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) to Brazil, by working to identify business opportunities, promoting strategic events and lending support to foreign investors willing to allocate resources in Brazil. Apex-Brasil is an agency linked to the Brazilian Foreign Ministry (Itamaraty).
