AsemconnectVietnam - With exports increasing more than threefold in just one year, Vietnam is emerging as an important source of lobster for China.

In 2025, Vietnam's lobster exports to China were estimated to reach a record US$858 million, a 208% increase compared to 2024.
China became Vietnam's largest lobster import market, accounting for almost all of Vietnam's lobster export value ($845 million).
According to Ms. Le Hang, Deputy Secretary General of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Processing and Export, China's increased imports of Vietnamese lobster in 2025 were the result of several converging factors.
On the demand side, China's middle and wealthy classes have a growing demand for high-end cuisine, considering lobster as both a delicious dish and a symbol of good fortune during holidays.
On the supply side, Vietnam has adapted quickly: focusing on farming permitted lobster species, expanding production scale, and meeting stringent quarantine standards. Trade relations between Vietnam and China have also improved significantly, creating a smooth channel for lobster exports to China through official channels with preferential tariffs.
Furthermore, changing international competition, especially the absence of Australian lobster and tariff barriers with North America, has created favorable conditions for Vietnamese lobster to dominate the market.
With impressive growth, lobster exports to China have more than tripled in the past year, making Vietnam an emerging important source of lobster for China.
However, to maintain and develop sustainably, Vietnam needs to continue improving quality, stabilizing supply, and proactively responding to new standards as well as the return of competitors in the future.
According to Ms. Hang, in 2025, e-commerce and modern retail chains in China will develop strongly, making imported lobster more accessible to consumers. Thanks to the billion-person market's willingness to "open their wallets," the total amount of lobster imported into China in the first three quarters of 2025 was estimated to reach nearly 49,900 tonnes, a 13% increase compared to the same period. This strong increase in demand creates great opportunities for suppliers like Vietnam.
Notably, Vietnam's key seafood products such as lobster, tiger shrimp, and pangasius have all been exempted from import duties by China under free trade agreements. Thanks to the 0% tariff advantage (not subject to punitive tariffs), Vietnamese lobsters have a much more competitive price than lobsters from the US and Canada (which are subject to import duties of approximately 17% and 32% respectively).
In addition, the geographical proximity helps shorten the time for transporting live lobsters to China, reducing losses and logistics costs. These factors create a clear trade advantage, encouraging China to increase its lobster purchases from Vietnam.
By the end of 2024, China still banned the import of spiny lobsters and only allowed green lobsters, providing clear guidance for Vietnamese farmers to focus on the permitted species. Chinese customs officials stated that the two countries are cooperating closely on agricultural and aquatic products, and quarantine procedures will be simplified when businesses comply with quality standards throughout the production chain.
To meet the enormous demand from China, the Vietnamese lobster industry has expanded its farming scale in recent years. According to VASEP, Vietnam currently has an abundant supply of green lobsters – an advantage that will help quickly increase exports when China is "thirsty" for goods.
Shifting from informal to formal exports
2025 marked a significant shift when China surpasses the US to become Vietnam's largest seafood import market.
Furthermore, Vietnam-China trade relations in the agricultural and aquatic products sector have seen many positive developments recently.
China has approved the official import of many Vietnamese agricultural products through the signing of bilateral protocols, opening its doors to Vietnamese agricultural and aquatic products.
Thanks to these efforts, by 2025, lobster exports to China have become more stable through official channels.
Currently, Vietnam has 46 facilities for packaging live seafood (mainly lobsters) that have been approved by China for export. These businesses have strictly complied with traceability requirements, affixed labels to lobsters in the pilot program in Phu Yen, and improved quality control according to Chinese standards.
Previously, the majority of Vietnamese lobster exports to China were via informal border crossings, posing risks of congestion and price manipulation for farmers. Now, both countries are focusing on standardizing trade and reducing reliance on unofficial channels. Chinese localities and businesses want to import directly from Vietnam instead of through intermediaries, and many Chinese companies have come to Vietnam to seek investment opportunities in local agricultural supply chains.
On the Vietnamese side, regulatory agencies are tightening the issuance of export certificates and implementing consistent quality control for goods exported to China, aiming to enhance product reputation and ensure fair competition. The trade relations between the two countries are being elevated through annual agricultural cooperation forums and leveraging the advantage of their shared border to accelerate the flow of goods. Thanks to this coordination, lobster exports in particular, and Vietnamese agricultural exports in general, to China were estimated to reach record levels in 2025, benefiting both sides.
From China's perspective, increasing lobster imports from Vietnam is also part of a strategy to diversify partners. Following a period of trade tensions with Western countries (the US, Australia, etc.), China is proactively seeking closer ties with neighboring ASEAN countries to stabilize its food supply.
With these advantages, Vietnamese lobster is considered a "luxury delicacy" that Chinese connoisseurs are willing to pay for – this presents a golden opportunity for the Vietnamese lobster industry to assert its position and brand.
CK
Source: VITIC/ thuehaiquan.tapchikinhtetaichinh.vn