Seafood Trade Lane Readiness: Canada → Vietnam, Oman and Armenia
In June 2026 the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced that Vietnam again accepts chilled and frozen finfish fillets and steaks from Canada, Oman accepts live and non-live Canadian fish and seafood, and Armenia accepts a Canadian health certificate for fish and seafood. These are government-to-government certificate agreements. They do not mean that a given supplier is eligible to ship, or that buyers have placed orders — both still have to be checked. [CFIA]
Three things to keep apart
Confirmed access
The importing country accepted a Canadian certificate. Source: CFIA.
Supplier eligibility
Each plant must be licensed, listed and able to issue the right certificate for the exact product. Checked per supplier and shipment.
Buyer demand
Not verified. CFIA gives aggregate trade totals only; real demand shows in specific requests.
The three markets
Priority market
Canada → Vietnam: regained access for chilled and frozen finfish fillets and steaks
Since CFIA's June 2026 announcement, Vietnam accepts a Canadian health certificate (AQAH-1112) for eviscerated chilled and frozen finfish fillets and steaks from species susceptible to WOAH-listed diseases in waters Canada declares infected — for example farmed Atlantic salmon, wild and farmed Pacific salmon and wild herring. These products had been restricted since 2022. This confirms country-level access only: each shipment still needs an eligible Canadian establishment, the right certificates and a Vietnamese importer, and FishMatch has not verified demand for any specific product.
CFIA certificates: CFIA/ACIA 5003 · AQAH-1112 · CFIA/ACIA 5633 · AQAH-1025 · CFIA/ACIA FA1023
Priority market
Canada → Oman: new access for live and non-live fish and seafood
Oman has accepted two Canadian health certificates — CFIA/ACIA FA1059 for fish and crustaceans and FA1060 for bivalve molluscs, echinoderms, tunicates and marine gastropods — so live and non-live, wild and farmed Canadian fish and seafood for human consumption can now be exported to Oman (CFIA, June 2026). Genetically modified aquatic animals are excluded. This is country-level access: each supplier must be on CFIA's approved-for-export list, and FishMatch has not verified buyer demand for any Canadian product in Oman.
CFIA certificates: CFIA/ACIA FA1059 · CFIA/ACIA FA1060
Canada → Armenia: new access after acceptance of a Canadian health certificate
Armenia approved a Canadian health certificate (CFIA/ACIA FA1072) for fish, seafood and processed products intended for human consumption, opening new access for Canadian fish and seafood (CFIA, June 2026). CFIA lists all fish and seafood products as eligible but warns that Armenia may impose additional establishment registration requirements. Access is confirmed at country level only; supplier eligibility and buyer demand still have to be checked.
CFIA certificates: CFIA/ACIA FA1072
The same CFIA release also covers cultured finfish to Brazil and ornamental fish feed to Costa Rica; those are not covered on these pages.
Questions buyers ask
- Which new seafood market access did Canada announce in 2026?
- CFIA's June 2026 release lists regained access to Vietnam for chilled and frozen finfish fillets and steaks, new access to Oman for live and non-live fish and seafood, new access to Armenia for fish and seafood, cultured finfish to Brazil, and ornamental fish feed to Costa Rica.
- Does market access mean a Canadian supplier can ship right away?
- No. Access means the destination accepted a Canadian certificate. The supplier still needs a Safe Food for Canadians licence, CFIA's approved-for-export listing, any destination listing (for example Vietnam's DAHP list) and the correct certificate for each product.
- Is there proven buyer demand in these markets?
- Not proven by FishMatch. CFIA reports aggregate figures — Canadian exports to Vietnam of about $93 million and imports of about $74 million by Oman and $44 million by Armenia in 2025 — which do not show demand for any product or buyer.
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