The most imported and consumed fresh seafood species in China include: salmon, shrimp, flounder, bluefin tuna, eel, pomfret, mussels, oysters, jack fish, abalone, yellow croaker , sea cucumbers, clams... Among them, the largest proportion is salmon with nearly 56 thousand tons, accounting for 65%.
In addition, China also imported a significant amount of ornamental fish, with 281 thousand tons, an increase of 60%. In general, this market consumes more fresh/live fish than shrimp, crab and mollusks...
Leading among fresh/live seafood suppliers to China is Norway with its strength in fresh/chilled salmon. Chile ranks 2nd, and is also in the top 2 salmon suppliers to China. Other top suppliers include Myanmar, Australia, Philippines, Bangladesh, Faroes Islands, England, Japan...
Japan supplies flounder, bluefin tuna, mackerel, mackerel, plaice, jack fish, oysters, scallops, and fresh/live sea cucumbers to the Chinese market. China has officially banned Japanese seafood after Japan released radioactive water into the sea since the end of August. This has eliminated a significant portion of fresh/live seafood supply from Japan, so China will have to increase imports from other sources of supply. At the same time, after this event, China increasingly tightened inspection of the origin of imported seafood products.
Vietnam only accounts for a very modest market share, 0.2% of China's total fresh/live seafood import volume in the first 8 months of this year. However, compared to the same period in 2022, import volume from Vietnam increased dramatically by 446% and average price also increased by 184%. Vietnam's live aquatic species exported to China are mainly ornamental fish, grouper, lobster, tiger shrimp...
Shanghai, Guangdong, and Yunnan are the top 3 provinces that import the most fresh/live aquatic products, accounting for 39%, 16% and 11% of China's total import volume in the first 8 months of the year.
Except for the period of restriction due to the Covid epidemic, China has always been a large and potential seafood consumption market because of its large population and increasing per capita income. Per capita seafood consumption in China has increased tenfold in 40 years: from 5 kg in 1980 to 14.4 kg in 1993, 37.9 kg in 2013 and 54 kg in 2020. Seafood demand concentrated mainly in big cities, where on average people buy seafood 3-4 times/month, especially in Shanghai people buy seafood on average 11 times/month.
China's economic growth has reached a rate of 6.3% in the second quarter of 2023 and forecasts for GDP growth in 2023 and 2024 are quite optimistic, increasing by 5.1% and 4.6% respectively. Those indicators show that in the coming time, China will certainly be the target market of many seafood exporting countries, including Vietnam. Competition in this market will become increasingly hot, but with geographical advantage, Vietnamese seafood can gain a higher market share in the fresh/live/chilled seafood segment for domestic consumption in China. At the same time, it is also necessary to diversify processed products for the new consumption trends of modern youth in China.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the context of a global economy shifting powerfully toward green and sustainable values, Vietfish 2026 is far more than just a commercial trade fair. It has become a strategic rendezvous and a "comprehensive ecosystem"—a convergence of value, knowledge, and sustainable growth opportunities for the entire industry chain.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports to Colombia continued their strong upward momentum in May 2026. Export value to the market reached USD 4 million, up 24% compared to the same month in 2025. Cumulative exports in the first five months of 2026 totaled USD 24 million, an impressive 48% increase year-on-year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Hai Phong's aquaculture sector is accelerating the adoption of high technologies in aquaculture to adapt to climate change, with red tilapia and tilapia identified as the key cultured species for priority development.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached nearly US$1.1 billion in June 2026, up 21.0% year-on-year. Cumulative exports in the first half of 2026 totaled nearly US$5.8 billion, representing a 12.8% increase compared with the same period last year. Exports to China and Hong Kong continued to accelerate, while shipments to the United States rebounded strongly in June. In contrast, exports to the EU, Japan, and the Middle East remained sluggish or recorded slight declines.
(vasep.com.vn) Tilapia is playing an increasingly important role in Vietnam’s aquaculture sector, driven not only by growing market opportunities but also by its ability to meet increasingly stringent requirements on quality, food safety, and traceability. In practice, tilapia farming in Vietnam is not a spontaneous or loosely regulated activity; rather, it operates under a comprehensive legal and technical framework covering the entire value chain—from hatcheries and farming to processing and exports.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached USD 1.9 billion in the first five months of 2026, up 12% compared with the same period last year. Amid continued volatility in the global seafood market, this result demonstrates that the shrimp sector has maintained positive growth momentum, supported by improving demand in several Asian markets, particularly China.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On June 16, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Ca Mau Province announced that the locality has established a farming area code for nearly 30,400 hectares of mud crab aquaculture and granted export facility codes to five enterprises eligible to export mud crab officially to markets such as China, Cambodia, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The United States remains one of the largest export markets for Vietnamese pangasius. In the first four months of 2026, pangasius exports to the US reached USD 106 million, up 4% compared to the same period in 2025. In April 2026 alone, export value totaled USD 38 million, marking a 20% year-on-year increase and the first positive growth recorded after an extended period of decline.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) While Vietnam’s shrimp exports to many major markets continued to post positive growth in the first months of 2026, exports to the United States declined, highlighting growing competitive pressures and trade barriers facing the Vietnamese shrimp industry.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Egypt is emerging as one of the most promising destinations for Vietnamese tuna exports in 2026. During the first four months of the year, export turnover to this market exceeded USD 7.3 million, marking a sharp increase compared to the same period over the previous two years. As Egypt’s tuna imports continue to recover and demand for canned tuna remains strong, the market is becoming increasingly attractive for Vietnamese tuna processors and exporters.
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