China spends up to 16 million USD to buy Vietnamese snails

China is the largest seafood export market

According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), by the end of April this year, Vietnam's seafood exports to the Chinese market reached 640 million USD, a sharp increase of 60% over the same period in 2024. China officially surpassed America become Vietnam's largest seafood export market.

VASEP said that in the context of the traditional EU market imposing more stringent regulations, China has emerged as a strategic market. In addition to consuming large volumes, import standards into this market are flexible; the consumption system is diverse from supermarkets to wholesale markets.

China has become Vietnam's largest seafood export market. Illustration photo: IT.

In particular, the State visit to Vietnam by Chinese President Xi Jinping in April was considered an important boost, creating strong momentum for bilateral trade relations. The two sides pledged to strengthen cooperation in the field of agriculture and fisheries, promote more convenient customs clearance procedures, and expand the “green channel” for fresh Vietnamese goods exported to China, helping to shorten logistics time and costs.

Vietnamese seafood exports to China have many advantages. Vietnam borders China, making it easy for seafood businesses to choose delivery options, with low transportation costs and eliminating many risks.

According to VASEP, to maximize opportunities for exporting seafood to China, Vietnamese businesses need to focus on investing deeply in product quality, post-harvest preservation processes and a clear traceability system.

Mollusk exports unexpectedly increase sharply

In the first months of the year, besides importing traditional items such as shrimp, pangasius, China unexpectedly increased imports of snails, clams and scallops (all kinds) Shellfish) from Vietnam.

In the first quarter of 2025, shellfish exports reached a total turnover of more than 63 million USD, an increase of 109% over the same period last year.

In the first quarter, live snail exports to China brought in up to 16 million USD. Illustration photo: IT.

The most popular shellfish in China are snails, clams and scallops. Of these, China spent up to 16 million USD on live snails from Vietnam, nearly 5 million USD on live clams and nearly 3 million USD on frozen scallops.

These products sell well in coastal areas in southern China, where the food service industry is well developed.

China’s heavy spending on importing the above-mentioned shellfish clearly shows that Chinese consumers are increasingly favoring high-quality fresh and frozen products. This is a great advantage for Vietnamese shellfish production and processing enterprises to expand their market share in this potential market.

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/trung-quoc-chi-toi-16-trieu-usd-mua-oc-huong-viet-nam-3357915.html