Lobsters are exported to China largely via unofficial channels

According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), in 2022, Vietnamese lobster exports to China reached over 257 million USD, an increase of 8.3 times compared to 2021. This plummet is thanks to rising Chinese consumer demand after the lockdown policy of China due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Ms. Kim Thu, a shrimp market expert at (VASEP), in 2021, the Chinese lobster market was almost "frozen" because of the COVID-19 epidemic. Therefore, supply was in shortage which pushed more import demands in this market to satisfy domestic consumption and export processing.

Notably, on April 27, 2022, Thanh Nhon Seafood and General Trading Company Limited (Ho Chi Minh City) signed a contract of 2,000 tons to officially export live lobster products to Kunming City in quantity until April 2023. This is the largest official lobster export contract ever for a domestic enterprise.

According to data from China Customs, in the first 7 months of 2023, China's lobster imports reached 32,358 tons, worth over 962 million USD, an increase of 19% in volume and 1% in value compared to the same period last year.

While the largest lobster suppliers to China include Canada, the US, New Zealand, Cuba, India, Brazil, Mexico... Vietnam ranks 14th, accounting for a small market share of 1%. Vietnamese lobster products exported to China include rock lobsters, cotton lobsters, and fresh, live green lobsters.

Currently, lobster is mainly exported to the Chinese market through unofficial channels which bear a lot of risks such as drastic price fluctuation, and being pressured by traders... Meanwhile, informal exports are becoming increasingly narrow as this country is gradually applying strict conditions on the import of foreign agricultural, forestry, and aquatic products.

To facilitate lobster exports in the coming time, officially exporting lobster is of urgent need. To do so, it is urgent to create links in the production, purchasing, and export of lobsters associated with traceability.

To successfully build linked models, the fisheries industry will focus on supporting relevant parties participating in the chain to access support policies; guide the transfer of scientific and technological advances in aquaculture; Implement the planning of concentrated aquaculture areas to develop raw material areas; Create favorable conditions for purchasing and exporting units to connect with lobster farmers.

To officially export lobster to the Chinese market, businesses must be granted an export enterprise code to the Chinese market by the Department of Quality, Processing, and Market Development - Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and be issued a quarantine certificate issued by branches of the Department of Quality, Processing, and Market Development.

Farmers need to focus on taking care of and closely monitoring market developments, stocking at moderate density and in accordance with planning, and fully registering and declaring with state management agencies.

Previously, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development had developed a lobster farming project and export by 2025, with total farming output reaching 3,000 tons and export turnover reaching 200 million USD a year. The largest lobster-producing provinces in the country are Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, and Kien Giang.