According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), in the first quarter of 2025, shellfish exports grew dramatically, reaching a total turnover of more than US$63 million, an increase of 109 percent over the same period last year.
Notably, the Chinese market surged to the leading position with total import value exceeding $23 million—an increase of nearly 2,000 percent.
In the first three months of this year, China significantly increased its imports of various mollusk species, including nearly $16 million worth of live snails, almost $5 million in live clams, and approximately $3 million in frozen scallops.
To capitalize on this opportunity, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) recommends that Vietnamese enterprises invest in enhancing product quality, improving post-harvest preservation techniques, and implementing robust traceability systems. Standardizing farming and quarantine procedures is also essential to meet the stringent requirements of the Chinese market.
According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam currently cultivates over 41,500 hectares of mollusks—primarily bivalve species—yielding an annual output of around 265,000 tons.
