Vietnam sees bigger opportunities for catfish export to China

Vietnamese catfish is being sold on China’s e-commerce platform Alibaba, a development expected to bring more opportunities for the product in China.

The information was given by Truong Dinh Hoe, general secretary of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

Hoe said that during the 2013-2017 period, China imported USD8 billion of Vietnamese seafood products, becoming Vietnam’s fourth-biggest seafood importer.

Last year, Vietnam’s seafood exports to China were estimated at USD1.5 billion.

“Middle-class people in China have tended to favour imported products, particularly those of natural origin. Products accepted in the US and EU will have bigger opportunities to be exported to China. 

Hoe added e-commerce was developed in China and seafood products were commonly bought online.

Vietnamese catfish are sold on China’s Alibaba e-commerce platform, Hoe discovered.

“According to Chinese people, once listed on e-commerce websites for sale, product quality is often ensured,” Hoe highlighted.

He, however, warned that China was tightening control over food safety and border trade.

Vietnamese goods were previously exported to China mostly through border trade, but now, many firms have turned to exports by sea.

To date, up to 70% of Vietnamese seafood products are exported to China by sea.