Quick answer
CFIA reported in June 2026 that Vietnam again accepts chilled and frozen finfish fillets and steaks from Canada, that Oman accepted certificates for live and non-live fish and seafood, and that Armenia approved a certificate for fish and seafood. CFIA's country pages set eligibility, establishment listing and certificates (FA1059 and FA1060 for Oman, FA1072 for Armenia) but state no product temperatures, transit times or destination cold storage, so those must be confirmed per product before a cold-chain project is specified.
Key takeaways
- What changed for Canadian seafood exports in June 2026? CFIA reported regained access to Vietnam for chilled and frozen finfish fillets and steaks, new access to Oman for live and non-live fish and seafood, and new access to Armenia for fish and seafood.
- Which export certificates apply to Oman and Armenia? For Oman, FA1059 (fish and crustaceans) or FA1060 (molluscs, echinoderms, tunicates, marine gastropods); for Armenia, FA1072.
- Does CFIA set storage or transport temperatures for these markets? No.
- What should a seafood cold-chain RFQ include? Product forms and pack types per destination, peak daily volume, freezing or chilling capacity and end temperature, storage positions and temperature classes, live-holding needs, transport mode and route,…
Reviewed: 2026-10-25 · ColdMatch Group
Edition note — 25 October 2026. By the ColdMatch Group editorial team. Part of the export-corridor series with South African cherries to China and Indian grapes to Vietnam. This is general buyer guidance, not legal, regulatory, food-safety or engineering advice. ColdMatch does not buy, sell or export fish or seafood, does not operate or book transport, does not issue certificates and holds no contracts on these lanes.
Three new or reopened markets do not mean one cold chain. Chilled fillets, frozen product and live shellfish need different equipment, different routes and different monitoring — and the official sources set eligibility and paperwork, not temperatures. The practical task for an exporter, processor or cold-store investor is to split the programme by product form and destination, then specify freezing, storage, holding and monitoring capacity for each split, while confirming the temperature rules with the buyer contract and food-safety lead.
Status at a glance (checked 25 October 2026)
| Destination | What CFIA states | Source date |
|---|---|---|
| Vietnam | Access regained for chilled and frozen finfish fillets and steaks; eligible products also include listed live species (Pacific oyster, Dungeness crab, lobster, geoduck), non-live crustaceans and molluscs, and finfish depending on disease status | News release June 2026; country page modified 11 Jun 2026 |
| Oman | New access: all live and non-live, wild and farmed fish and seafood; genetically modified aquatic animals ineligible | News release June 2026; country page modified 17 Feb 2026 |
| Armenia | New access: all fish and seafood products | News release June 2026; country page modified 14 May 2026 |
Documents and approvals by destination
| Destination | Certificate | Establishment listing | Importer permits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vietnam | Depends on intended use (local consumption or re-processing) | Final processing establishment on Vietnam's list for non-live products for local consumption, with exceptions; CFIA notes approval times are often lengthy | Live products: specialised import permit for lobster, Dungeness crab and geoduck (typically 1 year) and an import quarantine permit for all live species (typically 3 months), issued to the importer |
| Oman | FA1059 (fish and crustaceans) or FA1060 (molluscs, echinoderms, tunicates, marine gastropods) | SFCR licence and Canada's export-approved list | Not stated |
| Armenia | FA1072 | SFCR licence and Canada's export-approved list; Armenia may add registration requirements | Not stated |
Temperature and handling requirements: what the sources say
CFIA's pages for Vietnam, Oman and Armenia state no product temperatures, chilling or freezing methods, transit times or destination cold-storage requirements. Two handling-related points are stated: for Vietnam, cold storage facilities that only store product for export do not need to be listed; for Oman, marking must follow GSO 9/2013, Annex II Section I. Product temperature classes must therefore come from the buyer contract, the destination's own food rules and your food-safety lead — not from this guide.
The cold-chain problem to solve
Start with eligibility and listing, because Vietnam's establishment approval can take a long time according to CFIA. Then design by product form. Frozen product needs freezing capacity and stable frozen storage before export, plus reefer containers; chilled product needs a short, tightly monitored route and confirmed cold storage on arrival; live product needs holding systems and importer permits rather than cold rooms. Armenia is landlocked, so any route there is multimodal and every mode change is a handover where temperature records can break.
Questions to put in a cold-chain RFQ
Freezing and chilling
- Which product forms (chilled, frozen, live) and pack types are in scope for each destination, and at what peak daily volume?
- What freezing or chilling capacity is proposed, and what product temperature at the end of the process does your food-safety lead specify?
- How is product temperature measured and recorded before it leaves the plant?
Cold storage and holding
- How many pallet positions and which temperature classes are needed at origin to match production with sailing or flight schedules?
- For live shellfish, what holding systems are proposed, and how is product condition monitored before dispatch?
- What cold storage and power exist at the destination port or airport? (Not stated by CFIA — confirm with the importer.)
Reefer and air transport
- Which mode is planned for each product form — reefer container, refrigerated truck, air freight — and what transit time? (Not stated — confirm with the carrier.)
- For Armenia, which multimodal route is planned and who is responsible at each transfer?
- What contingency applies if a container, truck or flight is delayed?
Temperature monitoring
- What logger type, recording interval and alarm thresholds are proposed for each product form?
- Who can access the data during transit, and who keeps the records at each handover?
- How are temperature records linked to the certificate and shipment documents?
Destination and compliance checks
- Eligibility: confirm each product and species with your local CFIA office; the Oman page predates the June 2026 release.
- Listing: check the establishment requirements per destination, including Vietnam's list and Canada's export-approved list.
- Certificates: FA1059 or FA1060 for Oman, FA1072 for Armenia; Vietnam depends on intended use.
- Importer permits: for live products to Vietnam, the importer holds the specialised and quarantine permits.
- Marking: Oman follows GSO 9/2013; for Armenia the exporter must meet importer-country rules.
- Change watch: CFIA notes that importing-country requirements can change, so re-check before each shipment programme.
What remains open before you invest
- Product temperature classes and chilling or freezing specifications per product
- Transit times and route plans, especially the multimodal route to Armenia
- Destination cold storage, power and contingency arrangements in all three countries
- Any additional Armenian registration requirements
- Current eligibility for Oman against the page dated before the June 2026 release
Where ColdMatch fits
ColdMatch is the industrial refrigeration and cold-chain procurement platform of Global B2B Group. For projects from USD 250,000 — for example blast freezing, frozen or chilled storage, live-product holding or monitoring systems at origin or destination — the ColdMatch team reviews your brief, contacts suitable refrigeration technology and equipment suppliers on your behalf and presents organised, comparable responses. It is free for buyers, buyers and suppliers do not contact each other directly through the platform, and there is no obligation to award. If you want to buy the seafood itself, use Global B2B Group.
Related guides and tools
- Export lane readiness checklist: Canadian seafood to Vietnam, Oman and Armenia
- 2026 cold-chain trade corridor opportunities
- Seafood processing refrigeration in Vietnam
- Seafood cold-chain and blast-freezing guide
- Frozen shrimp reefer logistics
- Cold-chain temperature monitoring
- Refrigeration load calculator and cold room size calculator
Request a quote for your cold-chain project
Ready to brief freezing, cold storage, holding or monitoring for these lanes? Use the lane RFQ panel to carry product, route, season and temperature details into the form, or go straight to the RFQ builder. Final technical, food-safety and legal decisions stay with you, your engineers and the competent authorities.
Sources
- Government of Canada secures new and expanded market access for Canadian fish, seafood and aquatic products — CFIA news release, June 2026 (page modified 8 June 2026)
- Vietnam – Export requirements for fish and seafood — CFIA, page modified 11 June 2026
- Oman – Export requirements for fish and seafood — CFIA, page modified 17 February 2026
- Armenia – Export requirements for fish and seafood — CFIA, page modified 14 May 2026
Run the numbers
Calculators for this project type
Indicative planning figures only — final sizing belongs to the supplier's or consultant's detailed design.
Fish & seafood cold storage calculator
Chilled and frozen volume, ice demand and storage capacity for landing sites and processing plants.
Energy & backup powerEnergy & backup power cost calculator
Annual energy spend from load and running hours, plus the cost of generator hours during outages.
Frequently asked questions
Plan the numbers before you send an RFQ
The reference pages buyers use most before requesting quotes.