Vietnam’s clam and oyster exports to China surge nearly 120-fold

According to data from Chinese customs provided by the Agency of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Vietnam’s market share for these shellfish in China increased significantly, from 0.2% last year to 19.1% in May.

There has also been a substantial rise in exports of other live, fresh, or chilled molluscs, with values reaching over US$5 million, almost 82 times the amount of the same period last year.

Sea clams harvested by divers in the central coastal city of Phan Thiet. Photo by VnExpress/Viet Quoc

Vietnam currently dedicates over 41,500 hectares to mollusc, mainly bivalves, aquaculture, producing about 265,000 tons annually, with clams making up 179,000 tons. This sector employs roughly 200,000 workers.

Exports of various molluscs, including clams, oysters, and scallops, to other countries besides China have also increased, reaching nearly US$36 million in the first five months, up 8.2% from last year, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers reports that this growth is driven by rising demand for bivalve seafood. It expects this demand to continue increasing, provided there is an adequate supply of raw materials.

Furthermore, China’s imports of Vietnamese lobsters have seen significant growth in the first five months of the year. Vietnam’s exports of rock lobsters and other sea lobsters to China during this period valued at US$79.6 million, 32 times the previous year’s figures.

The market share for Vietnamese rock lobsters in China jumped from 1% last year to 25.3% of the total import value of this item into China this year.

Additionally, exports of frozen rock lobster increased by 682%, totaling nearly US$3.4 million.

However, imports of other seafood products like frozen catfish fillets, dried fish, and frozen shrimp from Vietnam into China have decreased.

In May, Vietnam ranked as the fourth-largest seafood supplier to China, with exports valued at US$91.1 million, an 18.2% increase from the previous year.

For the first five months overall, Vietnam was the seventh largest seafood supplier to China, with total exports valued at over US$365.5 million, marking a 9.7% increase from the same period last year. The market share for these products rose from 4.1% in the same period last year to 5.1%.

According to the Agency of Foreign Trade, the market share of many Vietnamese seafood products in China’s total imports increased in the first five months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, despite a decrease in value for some items.

“This demonstrates that Vietnamese seafood maintains strong competitive capabilities in the Chinese market,” the agency assessed.