“For the factories I know, I didn’t see much trouble with labor situation -- the labor force is sufficient so far while wages are only increased a bit,” said Daniel Lin, an executive who has set up his own company, Ocean Kingdom Seafood, to supply wild-caught frozen at sea fish to the processing industry and wholesalers.
The biggest “headache” for whitefish plants in China is “weak markets and financial stress,” Lin told IntraFish.
“For factories I do business with -- I sell raw materials to them and buy fillets back -- selling terms now changed to letter of credit (L/C) at 90 days, whereas previously it was L/C 30days or up to 60 days.”
Changing to 90 days means it takes them longer to pay, so that they can have more liquidity to run their business, said Lin.
“This year’s life for Chinese whitefish processing plants will be tough,” he said. “I am only optimistic about the Middle East and Africa markets -- these countries’ economies are strong, thanks to their strong resource and commodity exports.”
However, it is clear that the labor situation is a problem for plants in China.
"Regard the labor cost in China, it’s the same story for the past two to three years," said Xiaohui Luo, operations manager with Chang International, which operates plants in Qingdao, China.
"I think the cost will go higher, but by how much I don’t know. However I think the bigger factor is there may not be enough workers willing to work in this industry even if they can get a little higher pay than some other industries," he told IntraFish
"Obviously plants will not break the bank to pay the workers. The lack of workers could have a bigger impact on the overall productivity from Chinese plants, on all items not only for whitefish species," he said.
Seafood processing companies with plants in China might see the tightening labor situation as reason to leave the country, sources told IntraFish.
China seafood processor Yantai Longwin saw an estimated 20 percent drop in worker numbers over the past year, said its managing director Eric Wang.
Some factories might already have plans to move their operations to Vietnam and Cambodia if the situation persists, said Alvin Loy, director of Singapore-based Fish International Sourcing House, which has a processing facility in China.
While incentives such as providing free food and lodging could ensure that workers stay, Loy told IntraFish that if the labor shortage situation worsens in the next few years, the Chinese government even might have to allow foreign workers to come into the country.
Foreign companies which operate joint venture plants in China, such as High Liner Foods and Royal Greenland, are looking at setting up plants in Vietnam.
Toyota Tsusho Foods, the food division of the Japanese giant, recently announced it is moving its seafood processing to The Philippines.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The 2026 brackish water shrimp farming season in the Mekong Delta has started earlier than usual, mainly driven by positive market signals, as shrimp prices in 2025 remained high and supply was limited. Many enterprises and farms in Cần Thơ, Cà Mau, and Vĩnh Long have proactively stocked early to seize opportunities. By early 2026, stocking areas in many localities had reached a high proportion of planned targets, with intensive and high-tech farming models expanding rapidly.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the United States recorded remarkable growth in 2025, opening up major opportunities while also presenting considerable challenges. The U.S. remains the largest importer of Vietnamese tilapia fillets, with export turnover reaching USD 40 million—an increase of up to 499% compared to 2024. This impressive growth reflects strong demand in the U.S. market, as supply from competing countries such as China has been constrained by tariffs and rising production costs.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Pangasius remains a strategic export commodity in Vietnam’s seafood sector. Entering 2026, the industry faces a strong need to transition from volume-based growth to a value-driven development model, with a focus on quality, food safety, and sustainability.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Following damage caused by Storm No. 13 in late 2025, brackish water shrimp farming in Gia Lai is being rapidly restored. In key farming areas such as Tuy Phước and Tuy Phước Đông, farmers are focusing on rehabilitating ponds, repairing infrastructure, and treating the environment in preparation for the 2026 crop.
(seafood.vasep.com) Facing the decline in fishery resources, Vietnam is accelerating livelihood transitions for fishermen to reduce fishing pressure and move toward sustainable development. Marine fish stocks have dropped significantly from 4.82 million tons in 2000–2005 to 3.95 million tons in 2016–2020.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp industry is entering a period of strong transformation with the emergence of various high-tech farming models, helping improve productivity and competitiveness. Over the past 5–10 years, farming practices have shifted from traditional methods to intensive and super-intensive systems, featuring lined ponds, environmental sensors, automated feeding, and data management.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) With a focus on sustainable development, high-tech application, and climate change adaptation, An Giang Province aims to maintain its brackish water shrimp production in 2026 at a level equivalent to the previous year. Specifically, output is projected to reach over 155,510 tons, serving both domestic consumption and export processing, thereby sustaining the fisheries sector’s key role in the local economic structure.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the Mekong Delta, key pangasius farming provinces such as An Giang, Dong Thap, and Can Tho are accelerating the transition toward a circular economy model, contributing to higher product value and reduced environmental impact. Instead of focusing solely on farming and processing, the pangasius value chain is increasingly utilizing by-products and waste streams to generate added value.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s scallop exports are entering a phase of impressive growth, as the global market undergoes significant restructuring. In 2025, scallop export value reached nearly USD 66 million, up 49% from USD 44 million in 2024. This upward momentum has continued and accelerated into early 2026, with exports totaling USD 18.1 million in the first two months alone—an increase of 166% year-on-year. This represents an exceptionally high growth rate, reflecting the rapid expansion of a relatively new product segment within Vietnam’s mollusk export portfolio.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) – On March 19, at the Government Headquarters, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held a meeting with the European Commission (EC) inspection delegation on combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, led by Mr. Fernando Andresen Guimaraes, Head of Unit at the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE).
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