According to statistics from Chinese customs authorities, the country’s seafood imports reached $20.26 billion in 2025. In the first half of 2026, China imported around 2.31 million tons of seafood worth $10.1 billion.
Vietnam became China’s third-largest seafood supplier, behind Russia and Ecuador.
Notably, lobster was among the fastest-growing categories in China’s seafood import market. Imports of the premium product rose by around 47% in 2025, with Vietnam accounting for approximately 36% and becoming China’s largest supplier.
China spent $845 million on lobster imports from Vietnam in 2025, a sharp increase from $363.5 million in 2024, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).
In the first five months of 2026, Vietnam’s lobster exports to China continued to surge, rising 44.3% year on year to more than $506 million.
Beyond lobster, Vietnamese pangasius also holds an overwhelming position in China’s imported pangasius market. Customs data show that Vietnam earned $691 million from pangasius exports to China in 2025 and another $357 million in the first seven months of this year.
According to Le Hang, deputy secretary general of VASEP, competitive pricing and suitability for the mass-market dining segment have helped pangasius penetrate deeply into China’s restaurant industry, food-service sector and mainstream consumer market.
China’s pangasius import volumes increased continuously between 2016 and 2022 before easing from their peak. Even so, the sheer size of the world’s most populous market remains substantial, indicating that underlying demand for pangasius is still strong.
China is currently Vietnam’s largest seafood export market. In the first seven months of this year, Vietnamese seafood exports to China reached nearly $1.65 billion, up a sharp 37.1% from the same period last year and accounting for around 24.1% of Vietnam’s total seafood export value.
Hang said the Chinese market still offers considerable room for growth over the medium and long term as consumers increasingly favor diets that are high in protein and low in fat.
At the same time, household seafood consumption stands at only around 21 grams per person per day, significantly below the recommended level of approximately 50 grams.
Meanwhile, China’s aquaculture capacity is approaching its limits. Imports will therefore remain an essential channel for supplementing domestic supply.
Price, however, is no longer the only consideration. Consumers are paying increasing attention to freshness, origin, traceability, consistent quality, sustainability and certification.
Demand for premium seafood is also growing among middle- and high-income consumers. Younger Chinese consumers are reluctant to spend much time preparing food and tend to avoid fishy smells and bones, making cleaned, portioned, marinated, ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat products increasingly attractive.
For Vietnamese businesses, therefore, the opportunity is no longer simply about selling more seafood, but about offering the right products in the right regions through the right channels.
Hang said live and fresh seafood has an advantage in southern China, while frozen and convenience products are better suited to northern and inland markets. Processed and ready-to-eat products, meanwhile, have considerable potential among younger consumers and restaurant chains.
The VASEP deputy secretary general emphasized that Vietnamese pangasius continues to enjoy an advantage in the mass-market segment thanks to its competitive price, while lobster and certain other live seafood products have opportunities in the premium segment.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Although Germany’s tuna imports have declined, Vietnam’s tuna exports to the market continue to show positive signs. Notably, export value recovered strongly in Q3/2026, and German import data also show Vietnamese products strengthening their position amid competition among suppliers.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood exports are holding double-digit growth, but the opportunities are not spread evenly across product groups and markets. As businesses draw up their plans for 2027, Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS2026) offers a chance to look ahead together: what to sell, where to sell it, and how to prepare for growth in the coming years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) With less than two weeks to go, the Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026) will officially take place in Can Tho. Under the theme “Seafood Market Outlook 2027–2029 – Opportunities and Potential for Double-Digit Export Growth,” the Summit is organized by VASEP at a time when seafood businesses are facing rapid market shifts, changing buyer demand, trade policy changes and growing competitive pressure all at once.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On October 28, 2026, the China Fisheries & Seafood Expo opened in Qingdao, China. The expo takes place over three days from October 28 to 30, 2026. This is a prestigious specialized seafood exhibition organized annually by Sea Fare Exposition Inc.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first nine months of 2026, Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the CPTPP bloc reached $7 million, marking a 51% year-on-year increase. The bloc rstands as the fourth-largest market for Vietnamese tilapia, trailing Brazil, the US, and Saudi Arabia.
(vasep.com.vn) VASEP has officially announced the program for Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026), featuring five in-depth sessions covering industry outlooks, trade barriers, buyer demand, the domestic market, and solutions to improve productivity and reduce costs across the seafood value chain.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached US$3.7 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 11% year on year. Although growth has been supported by China and several markets within the CPTPP, momentum is slowing as exports to the United States and the European Union decline. Tariff pressures, international competition, and raw material challenges are creating significant hurdles for exporters in the final months of the year.
(vasep.com.vn) Markets are changing faster, buyer requirements are becoming more demanding, and trade barriers are growing increasingly complex. In this environment, seafood businesses need more than an understanding of current market conditions. They need a longer-term perspective to answer a critical question: Where will growth opportunities come from in 2027–2029, and what should businesses do now to prepare? This is one of the key reasons why VASEP is organizing Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East reached US$113 million, up 7% year on year from the same period in 2025. Growth has become more pronounced in recent months. In August alone, exports to the region totaled US$20 million, an increase of 24%. This indicates that demand for Vietnamese pangasius in the Middle East is gradually recovering after a slowdown in March, although the pace of recovery varies across markets.
(vasep.com.vn) China’s shrimp imports continued to grow strongly in 2026, while Vietnam’s shrimp exports to the market also recorded notable growth. However, behind these positive figures lie two distinct trends: Chinese consumption is growing more slowly than imports, and lobster accounts for a substantial share of Vietnam’s shrimp exports to China, making its product mix significantly different from those of Ecuador and India. Exporters therefore need to assess each segment carefully to understand the opportunities and risks.
VASEP - HIỆP HỘI CHẾ BIẾN VÀ XUẤT KHẨU THỦY SẢN VIỆT NAM
Chịu trách nhiệm: Ông Nguyễn Hoài Nam - Phó Tổng thư ký Hiệp hội
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