Export lane readiness · Canada → Vietnam, Oman, Armenia
Canadian fish and seafood to Vietnam, Oman and Armenia: cold-chain readiness checklist
CFIA reported in June 2026 that Vietnam again accepts chilled and frozen finfish fillets and steaks, 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. Those must be confirmed per product.
Regulatory status checked 25 October 2026 against the CFIA release and country pages (modified 11 June, 17 February and 14 May 2026). Re-check before each shipment programme.
ColdMatch is a buyer-side procurement platform of Global B2B Group for refrigeration and cold-chain equipment and facilities. It does not buy, sell or export fish or seafood, operate or book transport, issue certificates or hold contracts on these lanes. Managed sourcing serves projects from USD 250,000 and is free for buyers.
Readiness checklist
Each row shows what the primary source states, its status, and who must confirm the rest. Rows without a source are left open on purpose.
| Area | What the primary source states (date) | Status | Who confirms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regulatory status | Vietnam: access regained for chilled and frozen finfish fillets and steaks; Oman: new access for live and non-live products; Armenia: new access (CFIA release, June 2026) | Verified | CFIA |
| Eligible products: Vietnam | Listed live species (Pacific oyster, Dungeness crab, lobster, geoduck), non-live crustaceans and molluscs, finfish depending on disease status, and eviscerated finfish fillets and steaks (CFIA Vietnam page, 11 Jun 2026) | Verified | Local CFIA office |
| Eligible products: Oman | All live and non-live, wild and farmed fish and seafood; genetically modified aquatic animals ineligible (CFIA Oman page, 17 Feb 2026) | Verified | Local CFIA office (page predates the June release) |
| Eligible products: Armenia | All fish and seafood products (CFIA Armenia page, 14 May 2026) | Verified | Local CFIA office |
| Establishments | Vietnam: the final processing establishment must be on Vietnam's list for non-live products for local consumption, with exceptions; approval times are often lengthy. Oman and Armenia: SFCR licence and Canada's export-approved list; Armenia may add registration requirements (CFIA pages) | Rule verified — your status to confirm | Exporter; local CFIA office; importer |
| Permits | Vietnam, 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 (CFIA Vietnam page) | Rule verified — your status to confirm | Vietnamese importer |
| Certificates | Oman: FA1059 (fish and crustaceans), FA1060 (molluscs, echinoderms, tunicates, gastropods); Armenia: FA1072; Vietnam: depends on intended use (CFIA pages) | Rule verified — your status to confirm | Local CFIA office |
| Packaging and labelling | Oman: marking per GSO 9/2013, Annex II Section I; Armenia: exporter must meet importer-country rules (CFIA pages) | Rule verified — your status to confirm | Importer |
| Product temperature | Not stated by CFIA for any of the three countries | To confirm (human) | Exporter's food-safety lead; buyer contract |
| Chilling and freezing | Not stated | To confirm (human) | Processor |
| Cold storage | Vietnam: cold storage facilities only storing product for export need not be listed (CFIA Vietnam page). Capacity and temperatures are not stated | Rule verified — your status to confirm | Cold store operator |
| Reefer and air transport | Not stated. Armenia is landlocked, so a multimodal route is needed | To confirm (human) | Carrier; freight forwarder |
| Temperature monitoring | Not stated | To confirm (human) | Exporter; carrier |
| Transit time | Not stated | To confirm (human) | Carrier |
| Destination infrastructure and contingency | Not stated for any destination | To confirm (human) | Importer; port or airport operator |
ColdMatch summarises CFIA pages; it did not verify eligibility, listings or certificates for any company. CFIA notes that importing-country requirements can change.
Documents and approvals by destination
As stated on CFIA's export-requirement pages on the dates shown.
| 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 | Live products: specialised import permit (listed species) and import quarantine permit |
| Oman | FA1059 or FA1060 by product group | SFCR licence and Canada's export-approved list | Not stated |
| Armenia | FA1072 | SFCR licence and Canada's export-approved list; Armenia may add requirements | Not stated |
Sources: CFIA Vietnam (11 Jun 2026), Oman (17 Feb 2026) and Armenia (14 May 2026) export-requirement pages.
What to plan before the first shipment
Eligibility and listing come first: Vietnam's establishment approval can take a long time, according to CFIA. Then split the programme by product form. Frozen product needs stable deep-frozen storage and reefers; chilled product a short, tightly monitored route; live product holding systems and permits rather than cold rooms. For Armenia, plan monitoring across every mode change on a multimodal route.
- State product form, temperature class and pack type per product
- Confirm destination cold storage and power before committing to chilled product
- Agree logger type, alarm thresholds and data access across every handover
Where ColdMatch fits
ColdMatch turns this checklist into one comparable project brief for freezing, cold storage, holding and monitoring equipment at origin or destination, contacts suitable suppliers on the buyer's behalf and presents organised responses. It does not trade seafood, issue certificates or guarantee market access. Buyers of the seafood itself can use Global B2B Group; aquaculture projects belong to FishMatch.
Build your lane project RFQ
Describe the cold-chain project for this lane. Nothing is sent from this page: the button opens the ColdMatch RFQ form with your answers filled in, where you review and submit. Empty fields and open checklist items are marked for human confirmation.
Preview the brief sent to the RFQ form
The brief is written in English for the ColdMatch team.
[Export lane readiness] Lane: canada-seafood-vietnam-oman-armenia Commodity: Frozen finfish fillets or steaks Origin: Canada Destination: Vietnam Project site: origin Volume: not stated Seasonal window: not stated Temperature range: not stated Packaging: not stated Transit expectations: not stated Service scope: not stated ColdMatch scope: refrigeration and cold-chain equipment/facility procurement only; no produce or seafood trading, no transport operation or booking. TO CONFIRM (human): Volume; Seasonal window; Temperature range (confirm with the exporter's technologist or the official requirement); Packaging; Transit mode and time; Service scope; Product temperature; Chilling and freezing; Reefer and air transport; Temperature monitoring; Transit time; Destination infrastructure and contingency
From checklist to project RFQ
- Check product eligibility and establishment listing with your local CFIA office.
- Split the programme by product form and destination.
- Fill in the lane RFQ above and continue to the RFQ form.
- Review and submit; the ColdMatch team checks the brief and contacts suitable suppliers.
Related Global B2B Group platforms
- Global B2B Group
Buying seafood itself? Source commodities through Global B2B Group with a team-reviewed buyer RFQ.
- FishMatch Group
Fish and shrimp farming, hatchery and aquaculture projects are handled by FishMatch.
Related ColdMatch resources
Frequently asked questions
What changed for Canadian seafood 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 for human consumption.
Which certificates apply?
For Oman, FA1059 (fish and crustaceans) or FA1060 (molluscs, echinoderms, tunicates, marine gastropods); for Armenia, FA1072; for Vietnam, it depends on intended use (CFIA export-requirement pages).
Does CFIA set storage temperatures for these markets?
Not on the pages reviewed. Product temperatures, transit times and destination infrastructure must be confirmed with the exporter, the buyer contract and the carrier.
Does ColdMatch export seafood or book transport?
No. ColdMatch procures cold-chain equipment and facilities for buyers from USD 250,000. It does not trade seafood, operate or book transport, or hold contracts on these lanes.