(VAN) Over the past 20 years, China has been the largest importer of white meat fish in the world, with Vietnam as the second-largest supplier, primarily providing catfish.
Catfish freshly harvested in the Mekong Delta. Photo: Son Trang.
According to the International Trade Center (ITC), from 2004 to 2023, China has emerged as the largest consumer market for white meat fish worldwide, with a total import turnover approaching 25 billion USD.
During these two decades, Vietnam has established itself as the second-largest supplier of white meat fish – primarily catfish – to China, with a cumulative export value of nearly 3 billion USD, which represents approximately 11% of China’s total white meat fish imports.
It is noteworthy that China only officially began importing Vietnamese catfish in 2012. Prior to this, the country had almost never purchased catfish from Vietnam, primarily sourcing white meat fish from countries such as Norway, Russia, Canada, the Netherlands, the United States, and South Korea. This context illustrates that while Vietnamese catfish initially trailed behind white meat fish from several other nations in the Chinese market, it has impressively climbed to the second position after Russia. This remarkable progress underscores the significant potential of Vietnamese catfish within this market.
In the past 20 years, among the white meat fish products imported into China, frozen catfish fillets have secured the fourth position, following frozen Alaska pollock, frozen cod (HS code 030363), and cod (HS code 030360). Over this period, the total import value of catfish into China has amounted to approximately 2.2 billion USD.
According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), Vietnamese catfish is not only rich in nutrients but also competitively priced, making it an attractive option for Chinese consumers. Furthermore, the flavor profile of Vietnamese catfish closely aligns with the preferences of the Chinese market. The geographic proximity of Vietnam to China also results in lower transportation costs compared to many other sources of white meat fish, especially those from Europe and North America. This logistical advantage positions Vietnamese catfish as one of the most popular white meat fish products in China.
For several years, China has been a key market for Vietnamese catfish. In the first eight months of this year alone, exports of catfish to the China-Hong Kong market reached an impressive 370 million USD, far exceeding exports to the United States, which totaled 226 million USD.
Whole catfish being butterfly filleted at a factory in the Mekong Delta. Photo: Son Trang.
In the past, China primarily imported frozen catfish fillets from Vietnam. However, this year marks a shift, as noted by Ong Hang Van, Deputy General Director of Truong Giang Seafood Joint Stock Company in Dong Thap. He indicated that China has begun to purchase higher-value catfish products, presenting a significant opportunity for Vietnamese catfish processing companies to enhance their exports of value-added products to this key market.
According to data from the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), while China is not yet a major market for value-added catfish products, the export of these items to China is experiencing rapid growth. In the first eight months of this year, exports of value-added catfish to the Chinese market reached approximately 791.000 USD, marking a remarkable 50% increase compared to the same period in 2023.
Although these figures are still modest when compared to other markets such as those in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the United States, and Thailand, China is regarded as a market with immense potential for Vietnam’s value-added catfish products. This is largely due to the increasing demand for processed products and the high rate of import growth. Notably, in August 2024, exports of value-added catfish from Vietnam to China soared threefold compared to August 2023, surpassing 200.000 USD – representing the highest level recorded since the beginning of the year.
A number of other Vietnamese catfish products exported to China are also showing remarkable growth, particularly frozen butterfly fillets. According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), in 2023, frozen butterfly catfish fillets comprised 25% of the total export value of catfish to the Chinese market. This marks a significant increase from just 15% in 2018.
In the first eight months of this year, exports of frozen butterfly catfish fillets to China amounted to over 93 million USD, which represents an impressive 55% of the total export value of this product to all international markets. The regions in China that have been importing the highest volumes of frozen butterfly catfish fillets from Vietnam include Guangdong, Shandong, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Hunan, and Anhui.
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