“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) In the first three months of 2026, Vietnam’s exports of fish cake and surimi reached USD 63 million, down 5% compared to the same period last year. Although total export value declined slightly due to decreases in some key markets, many other destinations continued to post strong growth, opening up room for this convenience-oriented processed segment in the coming quarters.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Favorable weather conditions in the early months of 2026 have brought encouraging signs for fisheries activities in Quang Tri. Output has grown steadily, contributing to improved livelihoods for local residents.
Entering 2026, Vietnam’s seafood industry is facing a period of both high expectations and mounting pressures. Following the positive recovery in 2025, production and export activities in Q1/2026 demonstrated the strong adaptability of Vietnam’s seafood business community amid continued global trade volatility, intensifying international competition, and increasingly stringent compliance requirements in import markets.
(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.
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