Vietnam's lobster export failure: China speaks out

On November 27th, the Ministry of Industry and Trade , in coordination with other ministries, sectors, and localities in Vietnam and the Ministry of Commerce of China, organized the 12th session of the Vietnam-China Economic and Trade Cooperation Committee.

At the meeting, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien proposed that the Chinese Ministry of Commerce support Vietnamese businesses in building brands in the Chinese market; accelerate the opening of the market for agricultural products; and promote the signing of a framework agreement on rice trade between Vietnam and China…

Regarding the difficulties in exporting spiny lobster from Vietnam to China, Minister Nguyen Hong Dien suggested that Chinese authorities allow a transitional period for spiny lobster imports into China so that businesses can adapt to the new regulations from this market.

Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao pointed out that Vietnamese businesses need to urgently register their production and packaging facilities with Chinese customs. At the same time, relevant agencies in both countries need to promptly implement inspection and evaluation of businesses and growing areas, either in person or online, so that spiny lobster can be exported to China.

Vụ tôm hùm bông Việt Nam không xuất khẩu được: Trung Quốc lên tiếng - 1 — Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao (Photo: Ministry of Industry and Trade).

Regarding the proposal to coordinate customs clearance to avoid a recurrence of goods congestion at border crossings, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce affirmed that it attaches great importance to and is ready to cooperate in implementing measures to facilitate customs clearance in order to ensure the interests of Vietnamese farmers.

Regarding support for the discovery of Vietnamese brands in the Chinese market, the Chinese side will provide a favorable business environment and create conditions for Vietnamese businesses to establish a foothold in the Chinese market.

Mr. Vuong Van Dao stated that China is a large market and highly welcomes high-quality agricultural products from Vietnam. He cited durian as an example, noting that after 10 months since China opened its market (late 2022), Vietnam's durian exports reached over $2 billion. He predicted that durian exports to the Chinese market will far exceed this year's figure next year.

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce has announced it is proposing and encouraging the General Administration of Customs of China to open its market to Vietnamese agricultural products; and is ready to cooperate with the Vietnamese side to resolve and respond to issues related to agricultural exports.

Previously, at the conference "Current Status of Supply of Seedlings, Feed, and Materials for Marine Aquaculture; Product Traceability and Solutions for Sustainable Development of Marine Aquaculture in Vietnam" organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) in Khanh Hoa, Mr. Vo Van Thai, Director of Van Phong Aquaculture Cooperative, stated that spiny lobster farmers in Khanh Hoa are facing extreme difficulties after China stopped importing.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Quyen, a large-scale aquaculture farmer in Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa), also had to urgently appeal for help as her spiny lobsters could not be exported. Not only in Khanh Hoa, but spiny lobster farming areas in Phu Yen , Binh Dinh, and Ninh Thuan are also facing a lack of buyers.

According to Mr. Le Ba Anh, Deputy Director of the Department of Quality, Processing and Market Development (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development), in the first nine months of this year, lobster exports to the Chinese market only reached over 95 million USD, a decrease of more than 46% compared to the same period in 2022.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the reason for the sluggish sales of spiny lobster is that in May, China updated its list of protected wildlife species, and spiny lobster was included. By August, spiny lobster exports to China were halted due to strict customs controls on imported wild-harvested spiny lobsters at border crossings.

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