중국 농업 및 식품 insights

China remains the world's largest consumer of live crabs, while the United States is the primary import destination for frozen crabs, and Japan's role as a key crab importer has significantly weakened. In 2024, China imported 133,000 tons of crabs and crab products, a 12% increase year-on-year, valued at $2.1 billion, with Russia being the main supplier, providing 351,080 tons, a 17% increase year-on-year, with imports exceeding $1.2 billion, accounting for 60% of the total import value. In the first nine months of this year, Russia's exports of live crabs to China accounted for nearly 80% of its total live crab exports. Vietnam and Canada followed closely behind, with Vietnam supplying 16,000 tons of crabs to China in 2024, with a 17% year-on-year increase in supply in the first five months of the year. China's total crab consumption in 2024 was approximately 2 million tons. Russia's crab quota for 2026 is expected to be around 109,000 tons, with 75% of the fishery companies focusing on live crab exports. Specifically, there are 22 companies in the Far East region that specialize in producing live king crabs, primarily targeting the Chinese and South Korean markets. While China promotes live seafood, due to domestic supply constraints, the United States has become the primary destination for affordable frozen crabs worldwide. With the closure of the Alaska king crab fishery and a significant drop in domestic production, over 90% of the United States' crab demand relies on imports. As of July 2025, the total imports of snow crabs and king crabs in the United States reached unprecedented levels, with snow crab imports alone reaching 123.9 million pounds, exceeding the total imports for the entire year of 2024. Canada is the main supplier to the U.S. frozen snow crab market, accounting for about 90% of the market share. In the first eight months of 2025, Canada exported over 53,000 tons of snow crabs to the United States, an 11% increase, while its exports to China and Japan fell by 73% and 49%, respectively, during the same period. Major suppliers such as Russia, Canada, and Norway are actively adjusting their fishing and export plans to meet the specific logistical and quantity demands of the robust and unique U.S. and Chinese markets.

Spain, which is mobilising to contain an outbreak of African swine fever in Barcelona, received confirmation from major pork importer China on Monday that it can resume pork exports to the country from all other regions, informed its agriculture minister. Spain halted all pork shipments to China on Friday as a precaution until Beijing confirmed it

After the slowdown in the growth rate of basa fish exports to China in the third quarter of 2025, there was a significant rebound in export value in October. The export value for that month reached $73 million, marking a year-on-year increase of 19%, the highest export value recorded since the beginning of the year. The product's affordable price makes it suitable for the general consumer group. Vietnam's geographical proximity has brought clear advantages to its export enterprises, significantly reducing logistics costs compared to more distant markets. Given the intensifying competition in the Chinese domestic market and the potential slowdown in demand for frozen basa fish fillets, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) emphasized the necessity of diversifying the industry's development. The association urged industry enterprises to expand their product lines, increasing research and development investment in deep-processed and high-value-added products beyond traditional frozen fish fillets. This move will help enterprises improve profit margins, reduce risks, and enhance market competitiveness in the long term. It is expected that Vietnam's basa fish exports to China will continue to maintain a growth trend in the last two months of 2025.