China imports $1.4 billion of Vietnamese seafood in first half of 2026

China imports $1.4 billion of Vietnamese seafood in first half of 2026

Stronger demand from China – Vietnam's largest shrimp export destination – is creating fresh momentum for the industry's growth amid continuing uncertainty in the US market.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE), China continued to increase imports of Vietnamese seafood, particularly shrimp, in the first half of 2026, the ministry reported on July 13.

Vietnam exported more than $5.7 billion worth of seafood in the first half of 2026, up 11.4 per cent from a year earlier. China accounted for nearly $1.4 billion of the total, making it Vietnam’s largest seafood export market, while shipments to the US reached almost $898 million.

Including Hong Kong, exports to the Greater China market totalled around $1.5 billion, an increase of nearly 38 per cent from a year earlier. Japan ranked third with almost $788 million, posting a slight increase over the same period.

According to the Import-Export Department under the MAE, despite the double-digit growth, seafood exporters continue to face multiple challenges, including tighter technical requirements in key export markets, rising production costs, and climate-related risks.

Higher feed, energy, logistics, and freight costs continue to weigh on businesses, while climate change and saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta are affecting aquaculture production, highlighting the need for more resilient and fully traceable raw material supply chains.

Photo: VASEP

Le Hang, deputy secretary general of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), said many exporters have shifted their focus towards China as the US and Europe tighten trade barriers.

“Besides having less stringent import requirements, China enjoys a significant geographical advantage, helping reduce logistics costs and delivery times. For live seafood products, exporters can ship goods through border crossings, making preservation easier and more cost-efficient,” she said.

Meanwhile, exports to the US continue to face mounting challenges. According to VASEP, stricter enforcement of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) has required exporters of wild-caught seafood to provide additional Certificates of Admissibility (COA), with particularly complicated procedures affecting tuna shipments. Vietnamese shrimp also continues to face high anti-dumping duties.

In addition, a surge in shipments to the US ahead of the implementation of new tariff policies has resulted in rising inventories, while American consumers have become more cautious with spending and increasingly favour lower-priced products. These factors have left seafood exports to the US largely flat during the first half of the year.

VASEP noted that the industry’s export growth in the first six months reflected improving global demand and the ability of Vietnamese exporters to adapt by diversifying markets and adjusting product portfolios. At the same time, overseas buyers have become increasingly cautious, placing smaller and shorter-term orders while demanding more competitive prices and stricter compliance with quality, certification, and traceability standards.

Shrimp remained Vietnam’s largest seafood export, generating approximately $2.3 billion in export revenue during the first half of the year, up 13.6 per cent and accounting for more than 40 per cent of total seafood exports. Growth was driven mainly by demand from mainland China and Hong Kong.

Lobster was among the products seeing the strongest increase in purchases from both markets. Basa fish exports reached around $1.1 billion, up 12.1 per cent, continuing to benefit from competitive pricing and stable global demand for whitefish.

However, the outlook for the second half of the year remains uncertain. Hang said seafood exporters continue to face the risk of additional US trade protection measures and non-tariff barriers, ranging from regulations related to forced labour to the possible introduction of import quotas on certain products. At the same time, refrigerated container freight rates have begun rising again, posing another major challenge for the industry in the coming months.

“In the face of rapidly changing trade policies, businesses have little choice but to continuously monitor market developments, adjust their export strategies, diversify export markets, and increase the share of value-added processed products to mitigate risks and sustain growth,” Hang added.

VIR