Chinese shrimp exports down
In 2014, China’s shrimp exports reached 233 thousand MT, worth by US$ 2.55 million, down 14% by volume but up 16% by value from the previous year. The average export price touched US$ 10.95/kg, up 16% from 2013. Main consuming markets included Malaysia, Hong Kong, the U.S., Japan and Taiwan.
For the year to July 2015, shrimp exports by China reached US$979.5 million, down 21.6% year on year. Among top 10 markets of Chinese shrimp, Spain and Canada raised importing shrimp from China with the growth of 19.4% and 24.9%, respectively while other 8 markets witnessed declines, among which, shrimp exports to Malaysia reported the deepest dive of 44.2%. The average export price of Chinese shrimp tend to rise compared to 2014 with the price of more than US$9/kg.
China’s shrimp production in 2015 is expected to drop by 25-40% from 2014 and much lower than 2013.
Imports up
China is one of the world's shrimp importing markets. Shrimp imports in 2014 reached 78 thousand MT, equivalent to US$555 million, up 10% year on year by volume and 26% by value. Average import price was US$7.1/kg, up 15% year on year.
Turning to the first 7 months of the year, shrimp imports into China surpassed US$ 323 million, up 19.8% year on year. The increase in shrimp imports can be explained by slump in Chinese shrimp domestic supply, which was caused by unfavourable weather and epidemics.
Thailand was the largest shrimp supplier with the year-on-year growth of 48.5%. It was followed by Canada with the growth of 46%. China imported raw shrimp for processing mainly from India and Ecuador. Vietnam is also a supply of raw shrimp to China.
Opportunities for Vietnamese shrimp suppliers
China is a potential market for Vietnamese shrimp suppliers, mostly because of the close geograpical position and the economic outlook.
Amid decline in shrimp exports to main markets like the U.S., Japan and the EU, China is considered as an alternative choice of many Vietnamese shrimp exporters. By September this year, about 35 Vietnamese companies have exported their products to the market.
As the stock market crash affected the middle class, affectingthe demand for high-priced products, it is expected that Vietnam shrimp exports to China will decline but with smaller declining rates in the coming months.
|
Shrimp imports into China (Value: US$thousand, Source: ITC) |
|||
|
Supply |
Jan-Jul 2014 |
Jan-Jul 2015 |
Variations (%) |
|
The world |
269,951 |
323,320 |
19.8 |
|
Thailand |
48,982 |
72,729 |
48.5 |
|
Canada |
35,731 |
52,146 |
45.9 |
|
Ecuador |
64,983 |
42,818 |
-34.1 |
|
Indonesia |
6,611 |
33,056 |
400.0 |
|
India |
24,803 |
26,450 |
6.6 |
|
Argentina |
18,823 |
24,123 |
28.2 |
|
The U.S. |
12,837 |
13,245 |
3.2 |
|
Greenland |
9,533 |
12,834 |
34.6 |
|
Malaysia |
3,002 |
7,541 |
151.2 |
|
Myanmar |
5,066 |
7,057 |
39.3 |
|
Russia |
4,783 |
6,890 |
44.1 |
|
Vietnam |
12,710 |
5,435 |
-57.2 |
(vasep.com.vn) In the first quarter of 2026, Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached USD 1.069 billion, up 17.5% compared to the same period in 2025. This is a positive result amid an uneven global shrimp market recovery, intensifying competition among major suppliers, and continued volatility in the international trade environment. However, this growth does not reflect a broad-based recovery across the entire sector, but rather is driven mainly by strong performance in a few markets and specific product segments—most notably lobster exports to China.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tuna exports continued to decline in March 2026. Cumulatively, in the first three months of the year, export value reached USD 208 million, down 4% compared to the same period in 2025. The export landscape shows clear divergence across markets: while the U.S. and EU remain challenging, markets such as Russia, the Middle East, Egypt, the Philippines, and Mexico have emerged as growth bright spots.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In Quang Ngai Province, shrimp farming costs are rising sharply due to लगातार increases in feed, fuel, and input material prices, while farm-gate shrimp prices are declining. This has significantly reduced farmers’ profit margins and increased production risks.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports are experiencing impressive growth, reflecting expanding global demand as well as the sector’s development potential. However, behind the strong growth figures lie limitations in production capacity and supply chains, highlighting the need for sustainable development in the coming period.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East in 2025 and early 2026 have shown notable growth. However, escalating geopolitical tensions in the region have increasingly impacted export activities since March. This situation presents a challenge of balancing market expansion opportunities with rising trade risks.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The Quang Tri Department of Agriculture and Environment has instructed localities to base their stocking schedules on actual conditions in each farming area, while developing plans, allocating resources, and implementing synchronized measures for disease prevention and disaster risk management in aquaculture production.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first two months of 2026, Vietnam’s exports of fish cakes and surimi exceeded USD 45 million, up 7% compared to the same period in 2025, indicating a positive outlook for this product segment amid recovering demand in many markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) During the week from April 4th to 10th, 2026, Quang Ngai province intensified its monitoring and law enforcement activities with the determination to eliminate illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing practices.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Thanh Hoa’s shrimp sector is undergoing a strong transformation by accelerating the adoption of high technology, helping to improve productivity, increase profits, and meet market demands. The province currently has about 4,100 hectares of shrimp farming, with output continuing to rise despite stable farming area, mainly due to the shift from traditional methods to intensive and super-intensive farming.
(vasep.com.vn) Amid ongoing volatility in global seafood trade, Vietnam’s crab exports have made a fairly positive start to 2026. According to Vietnam Customs statistics, export turnover in the first two months of 2026 reached nearly USD 55 million, up 24% compared to the same period in 2025 and more than 2.2 times higher than in the same period of 2024. This indicates that crab exports are entering 2026 with stronger growth momentum, particularly in Asian markets.
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