“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) Currently, Da Nang City has no fishing vessels detained, sanctioned by foreign authorities, or criminally prosecuted for IUU fishing violations. Patrols, monitoring of marine fishing activities, and handling of violations have been prioritized by competent forces, significantly reducing nearshore fishing infringements.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to statistics from Vietnam Customs, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Israel in the first nine months of 2025 reached just over USD 27 million, down as much as 49% compared to the same period in 2024. This is a steep and prolonged decline for many consecutive months, reflecting changes in import demand as well as shifts in the supply structure of this market.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The first 700 tons of Vietnamese tilapia ordered and imported by JBS Group will initially be distributed through supermarket chains, the Horeca network and JBS’s product showrooms in Brazil.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In October 2025, Vietnam’s pangasius exports hit $217 million, representing an 8% increase compared to the same month in 2024. For the first 10 months of the year, total export value has surpassed $1.8 billion, up 9% year-on-year. This growth demonstrates clear positive momentum for the pangasius industry, despite continued declines in certain markets.
In recent days, the Central provinces of Vietnam have been suffering from historic flooding, with prolonged heavy rains, landslides, flash floods, and deep inundation causing extremely serious impacts on tens of thousands of households, as well as many VASEP member exporters located in the region. With the spirit of mutual support and solidarity, and in order to promptly assist residents and member exporters in the affected areas to stabilize their lives and restore production activities, VASEP calls on all seafood exporters, organizations, and individuals to extend supports to the people and member exporters in the flood-hit areas. We urge timely and practical material and spiritual contributions to help member exporters and local communities in the severely affected provinces overcome this difficult period.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the final days of October 2025, Vietnam’s domestic raw shrimp market remained generally stable, though slight adjustments were recorded in several sizes across key farming regions.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached USD 498 million in October 2025, up 26% from the same period last year. This is one of the highest monthly revenues since the beginning of the year, reflecting solid demand in major markets and faster shipment schedules by exporters. From January to October, shrimp export value reached USD 3.9 billion, up 22% compared to the same period in 2024.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On October 31, 2025, the US Court of International Trade (CIT) officially issued an order to suspend the case filed by the National Fisheries Institute (NFI), the National Restaurant Association (NRA), and several US seafood companies against the US Government concerning the implementation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) An Giang’s fisheries sector has maintained stable growth momentum during the first nine months of 2025, making an important contribution to the province’s socio-economic development. Despite facing numerous challenges, the province is implementing various measures to enhance production efficiency, expand markets, and promote sustainable fisheries development toward deeper integration into the global economy.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius export value in September 2025 reached USD 181 million, up 5% compared to the same period in 2024. The overall trend for the pangasius industry remains positive, with total exports in the first nine months of 2025 reaching nearly USD 1.6 billion, an increase of 9% year-on-year.
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