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) Tilapia is easy to farm and provides high economic and nutritional value, making it a sought-after export commodity in many countries.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports in the first 10 months of 2025 recorded significant progress, reaching more than USD 9.5 billion, up 15% year-on-year. This result reflects the sector’s persistent efforts amid a highly volatile market, especially policy shocks from the US Although signs of slowdown emerged in the third quarter due to countervailing taxes, key product groups still maintained strong momentum and created a foundation for full-year exports to reach USD 11 billion.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s agreement with the United States on a framework for reciprocal, fair, and balanced trade—reached during the 2025 ASEAN Summit in Malaysia—has generated strong optimism for Vietnamese exports, including tuna. Numerous positive points in the joint statement have raised high expectations for Vietnamese export goods, but turning these expectations into tangible benefits remains a long and challenging journey.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) At the conference on “Linking the Production and Consumption Chain of Ca Mau Crab 2025,” Vice Chairman of the Ca Mau Provincial People’s Committee Lê Văn Sử posed a central question: how to shift the province’s crab exports toward official trade channels, instead of relying heavily on small-scale border trade with China as currently practiced.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The whitefish market in Japan is showing a clear divergence among supplying countries, in which Vietnam continues to affirm its role as a stable and high-potential exporter. Vietnam currently ranks third after the US and Russia in whitefish export value to Japan. Thanks to tariff incentives and the ability to meet Japan’s strict standards, Vietnamese pangasius continues to record a stable and positive growth trend.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The People's Committee of Ca Mau Province has just issued a plan to expand the super-intensive, low-water-exchange, biosecure white-leg shrimp farming model (RAS-IMTA) for whiteleg shrimp farming to a scale of 1,500 hectares, aiming to develop high-tech, sustainable and environmentally friendly shrimp farming.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Sa Giang Import-Export Joint Stock Company (HNX: SGC) plans to issue over 7.1 million shares to raise nearly 465 Billion VND for Hoan Ngoc M&A Deal.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to Rabobank, global tilapia production is forecast to exceed 7 million tons in 2025, driven by a strong recovery in major producing countries including China, Indonesia, Egypt, Bangladesh and Vietnam. Among them, Vietnam is emerging as a potential tilapia supplier in the global supply chain, capitalizing on market fluctuations to expand production and exports.
By the end of Q3/2025, Vietnam’s seafood industry recorded a clear recovery as a series of leading companies reported strong profits — some even achieving the highest results in their history. After several quarters struggling with high costs and weakened demand, the latest business results indicate a robust comeback across the industry.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On November 12 in Ho Chi Minh City, the Embassy of the Netherlands, in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, organized the Vietnam–Netherlands Business Forum under the theme “Shaping the future of sustainable aquaculture in the Mekong Delta.”
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