Vietnam is the 7th largest seafood supplier in the Chinese market.

According to statistics from the Chinese Customs, in August 2023, China's seafood imports reached 1.4 billion USD, down 21% compared to the same period in 2022, the third consecutive month of decline. In the first 8 months of 2023, China's seafood imports reached 12.8 billion USD, up 9.4% over the same period in 2022.

Chế biến tôm đông lạnh xuất khẩu tại nhà máy của Công ty Thủy sản Minh Phú Hậu Giang, tỉnh Hậu Giang

Processing frozen shrimp for export at the factory of Minh Phu Hau Giang Seafood Company, Hau Giang province

In August 2023, China's seafood imports from most major supplying markets Ecuador, Russia, India, the United States, Norway... decreased compared to the same period in 2022, while imports from Peru, Chile, and Argentina increased.

Vietnam was the 7th largest seafood supplier to China in August and the first 8 months of 2023.

Specifically, in August 2023, China's seafood imports from the Vietnamese market reached 69.02 million USD, down 35.5% compared to August 2022.

In the first 8 months of 2023, China's seafood imports from Vietnam reached 533.2 million USD, down 51.7% over the same period in 2022. Vietnam's seafood market share in China's total imports dropped sharply to 4.2% in the first 8 months of 2023 from 9.4% in the first 8 months of 2022.

Notably, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers said that in the first 8 months of this year, Vietnam's lobster exports to China reached 76 million USD, down 42% compared to the same period in 2022. To date, China is still Vietnam's largest lobster import market.

According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers, China is the main export market for many Vietnamese seafood products. Of which, pangasius exported to China always accounts for 30% of total export turnover. China is also in the Top 5 markets importing the most shrimp from Vietnam.

According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, to date, the China General Administration of Customs' (GDC) system for registration of plant-based foods for export to China (CIFER) has more than 800 Vietnamese enterprises declared eligible to export seafood to this country. Currently, China has granted 128 product codes related to Vietnamese seafood.

Mr. Nguyen Nhu Tiep - Director of the Department of Quality, Processing and Market Development of Agricultural Products (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) - said that in order to export live seafood to China, establishments registering to export live seafood products such as tiger prawns, white-leg shrimp, crabs, and live lobsters need to be assessed and certified by the Department of Quality, Processing and Market Development of Agricultural Products for food safety conditions according to regulations of Vietnam and China.

Farming and packaging facilities must be inspected by local agricultural, forestry and fishery management agencies, certified for food safety and veterinary hygiene conditions, and given a code.

To boost seafood exports to this market, Mr. Nguyen Hoai Nam - Deputy General Secretary of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers - proposed that it is necessary to strengthen trade promotion and exchanges between domestic enterprises and Chinese localities.

At the same time, support and promote the progress of approving documents for businesses registering to export seafood to China. In particular, agencies need to update and provide information on the needs and regulations of the Chinese market and localities for Vietnamese businesses.

In August 2023, China's seafood imports from the Japanese market fell sharply after China imposed a ban on seafood products imported from Japan.

China is Japan's largest seafood export market in 2022 with products such as: Scallops, tuna, sea urchins, red snapper and sea cucumbers. China's ban on seafood imports from Japan may create opportunities for some Vietnamese seafood exports in the coming time.

Vietnam is negotiating to diversify its export products. Currently, the procedures for live oysters have basically been completed, while frozen shrimp and salted jellyfish continue to be assessed for risk.

China is currently the most anticipated market for seafood businesses as the Chinese economy becomes more stable in the last months of 2023, with people's income and consumption gradually increasing. The Association of Seafood Processors and Exporters predicts that seafood exports to China and Hong Kong (China) have a chance to recover, with an expected turnover of 1.8 billion USD in 2023.

If the economic situation in major markets recovers in the last months of the year, businesses have internal production capacity, stable supply of raw materials and competitive export prices, seafood exports in 2023 could earn over 9 billion USD.

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