Shrimp exports to China have grown very strongly this year, surpassing the $1 billion mark for the first time. China is the first market to reach this milestone.

Seafood exports to China are projected to grow strongly in 2025, with shrimp exports making a significant contribution.

According to Viet Nam Customs, in the first 11 months of 2025, shrimp exports to China reached over 113,000 tons, worth US$1.138 billion, an increase of 48.4% in volume and 63.3% in value compared to the same period in 2024.

With these results, this marks the first time shrimp exports to China have exceeded $1 billion, making China the first market for Vietnamese shrimp to reach this milestone. Previously, the US had been the largest market for Vietnamese shrimp for many consecutive years, but the peak export value to the US only reached $807 million in 2022.

According to the Viet Nam Association of Seafood Processing and Export (VASEP), data from Chinese Customs shows that in the first 10 months of 2025, the total value of shrimp imports into China reached approximately US$4.3 billion, a 10% increase compared to the same period last year, while import volume only increased slightly by 1%. This indicates that Chinese consumers are willing to pay more for premium or deeply processed shrimp products, leading to an increase in average selling prices.

Changes in shrimp consumption in China have significantly contributed to the sharp increase in Viet Nam's shrimp exports to this market, with the rise of premium shrimp products such as lobster and tiger shrimp.

Lobster was Viet Nam's number one shrimp export to China last year. In the first 10 months of 2025, lobster exports to China and Hong Kong reached US$702 million, a 135% increase compared to the same period in 2024, accounting for almost the entire lobster export value to all markets (US$712 million).

Following lobster is tiger prawn. In 2025, Viet Nam will continue to maintain a clear advantage in tiger prawns in China and Hong Kong, the number one market for Vietnamese tiger prawns. Tiger prawns belong to the premium prawn segment, typically serving the restaurant, hotel, and catering service sectors, as well as consumer segments requiring consistent quality and size.

The strong growth in shrimp exports to China not only made China the largest market for Vietnamese shrimp for the second consecutive year, but also allowed China to surpass the US for the first time to become the largest market for Viet Nam's seafood industry. In the first 11 months of 2025, seafood exports to China reached US$2.07 billion, of which more than half (55%) came from shrimp products.

Source: Viet Nam Agriculture