According to statistics from Chinese customs authorities, the country’s seafood imports reached $20.26 billion in 2025. In the first half of 2026, China imported around 2.31 million tons of seafood worth $10.1 billion.
Vietnam became China’s third-largest seafood supplier, behind Russia and Ecuador.
Notably, lobster was among the fastest-growing categories in China’s seafood import market. Imports of the premium product rose by around 47% in 2025, with Vietnam accounting for approximately 36% and becoming China’s largest supplier.
China spent $845 million on lobster imports from Vietnam in 2025, a sharp increase from $363.5 million in 2024, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).
In the first five months of 2026, Vietnam’s lobster exports to China continued to surge, rising 44.3% year on year to more than $506 million.
Beyond lobster, Vietnamese pangasius also holds an overwhelming position in China’s imported pangasius market. Customs data show that Vietnam earned $691 million from pangasius exports to China in 2025 and another $357 million in the first seven months of this year.
According to Le Hang, deputy secretary general of VASEP, competitive pricing and suitability for the mass-market dining segment have helped pangasius penetrate deeply into China’s restaurant industry, food-service sector and mainstream consumer market.
China’s pangasius import volumes increased continuously between 2016 and 2022 before easing from their peak. Even so, the sheer size of the world’s most populous market remains substantial, indicating that underlying demand for pangasius is still strong.
China is currently Vietnam’s largest seafood export market. In the first seven months of this year, Vietnamese seafood exports to China reached nearly $1.65 billion, up a sharp 37.1% from the same period last year and accounting for around 24.1% of Vietnam’s total seafood export value.
Hang said the Chinese market still offers considerable room for growth over the medium and long term as consumers increasingly favor diets that are high in protein and low in fat.
At the same time, household seafood consumption stands at only around 21 grams per person per day, significantly below the recommended level of approximately 50 grams.
Meanwhile, China’s aquaculture capacity is approaching its limits. Imports will therefore remain an essential channel for supplementing domestic supply.
Price, however, is no longer the only consideration. Consumers are paying increasing attention to freshness, origin, traceability, consistent quality, sustainability and certification.
Demand for premium seafood is also growing among middle- and high-income consumers. Younger Chinese consumers are reluctant to spend much time preparing food and tend to avoid fishy smells and bones, making cleaned, portioned, marinated, ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat products increasingly attractive.
For Vietnamese businesses, therefore, the opportunity is no longer simply about selling more seafood, but about offering the right products in the right regions through the right channels.
Hang said live and fresh seafood has an advantage in southern China, while frozen and convenience products are better suited to northern and inland markets. Processed and ready-to-eat products, meanwhile, have considerable potential among younger consumers and restaurant chains.
The VASEP deputy secretary general emphasized that Vietnamese pangasius continues to enjoy an advantage in the mass-market segment thanks to its competitive price, while lobster and certain other live seafood products have opportunities in the premium segment.
(vasep.com.vn) On November 11, 2026, in Can Tho, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) will organize the Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026) under the theme “Seafood Market Outlook 2027–2029: Opportunities and Headroom for Double-Digit Export Growth.”
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Business leader Do Ngoc Tai, General Director of Tai Kim Anh Seafood Processing Joint Stock Company, was honored by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) with the title “Outstanding Vietnamese Entrepreneur – Thanh Giong Cup 2026” at a ceremony celebrating Vietnam Entrepreneurs’ Day (October 13). The event took place on the evening of October 11, 2026, at the National Convention Center in Hanoi.
(vasep.com.vn) The global tilapia market is becoming increasingly segmented, not only among producing countries but also by product type and destination market. Supply is divided into groups with distinct competitive advantages: large volumes of whole fish and frozen fillets from Asia, high-value fresh fillets from Latin America, and substantial domestic consumption in several major producing countries.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tuna exports to the UK grew in the first eight months of 2026, despite signs of slowing import demand in the market. However, sharp fluctuations in orders, competition from major suppliers, and new traceability requirements are creating challenges for Vietnamese exporters.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam is stepping up efforts to combat illegal fishing, protect marine ecosystems, expand digital monitoring, and develop science-based management to ensure the sea can support communities and the economy for generations to come.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The EU remains a critical market for Vietnamese shrimp; however, purchasing demand and import patterns are undergoing notable changes. According to Vietnam Customs data, as of September 15, 2026, Vietnam’s shrimp exports to the EU reached nearly $374 million, down 5% year-over-year and accounting for 10.7% of the country’s total shrimp export value. Meanwhile, the EU’s stotal shrimp imports through July 2026 contracted by 7% in volume, exhibiting divergent trends across Southern Europe, Northwestern Europe and Eastern Europe. These dynamics necessitate that Vietnamese enterprises closely monitor individualized market demand, rather than approaching the EU as a monolithic consumer block.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam’s exports of surimi and fish cakes remained relatively stable year-over-year compared to 2025. Following a contraction in the initial months, export performance demonstrated improvement from June onward, peaking in August. However, the recovery has been uneven, characterized by divergent trends across major markets: robust growth was recorded in China, Japan, Malaysia, the United States, and Taiwan, whereas export volumes to South Korea, Indonesia, and select European markets contracted.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Pangasius remains one of Dong Thap’s key aquaculture species, with the province focusing on developing an integrated value chain covering seed production, commercial farming, deep processing and by-product utilization. The province is promoting high-tech, circular pangasius farming models featuring reduced water exchange and enhanced biosecurity, aiming to improve production efficiency and strengthen control over raw material quality.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports in September 2026 are estimated at US$1.135 billion, up 11.9% year-on-year, bringing total exports in the first nine months of the year to US$9.103 billion, up 11.4%. Behind this double-digit growth, however, increasingly divergent market trends are emerging: China–Hong Kong and ASEAN posted strong growth, while the U.S., EU and Japan all recorded declines in September.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Brazil became the largest market for Vietnamese tilapia, with export value reaching US$44 million, up 22,142% year-on-year and accounting for 49% of Vietnam’s total tilapia exports. In August alone, exports to Brazil reached US$4 million. However, behind this remarkable growth is a market that is imposing increasingly stringent requirements on imported supplies.
VASEP - HIỆP HỘI CHẾ BIẾN VÀ XUẤT KHẨU THỦY SẢN VIỆT NAM
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