With export turnover reaching 585 million USD in just the first 6 months of 2026, up 44.3% compared to the same period, lobster is emerging as one of the bright spots of Vietnam's seafood exports. Along with advantages in the Chinese market, room to develop lobster into a billion-dollar export commodity sector is becoming increasingly distinct if technical barriers are resolved and long-term development strategies are constructed.

Lobster accelerates, affirming its position in seafood exports

Lobster is emerging as one of the notable bright spots of Vietnam's seafood exports. From a product group of modest scale, lobster has accelerated strongly during the 2024–2026 period, becoming a high-value item linked to the consumption demand for live seafood and high-end seafood in the Chinese market.

According to Ms. Kim Thu, a shrimp market expert at the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), in the first 6 months of 2026, Vietnam's lobster exports reached approximately 585 million USD, up 44.3% compared to the same period. This scale is equivalent to 10.1% of total seafood exports and nearly 25% of Vietnam's total shrimp exports.

In 2025 alone, lobster export turnover reached approximately 858 million USD, a strong increase compared to previous years, demonstrating that room to make lobster a strategic seafood commodity sector is very clear. China continues to hold a decisive market role for this commodity sector. In 2025, lobster exports to China reached approximately 841 million USD, accounting for more than 98% of total turnover. In the first half of 2026, this proportion continued to be maintained at approximately 98.5%.

On the flip side, Vietnam has also risen to become the largest supplier of lobsters to China. In 2025, China imported approximately 69.8 thousand tons of lobsters, of which Vietnam supplied about 24.1 thousand tons, accounting for 34.5% of total import volume.

With an export structure consisting mainly of live green spiny lobsters, it can be affirmed that Vietnam is the most prominent supply source in the live tropical lobster segment entering the Chinese market.

According to VASEP's assessment, the advantages of Vietnamese lobsters stem from geographical proximity to China, favorable conditions for live goods transportation, short delivery times, competitive logistics costs, and products suited to the mid-range to high-end restaurant segment.

Resolving bottlenecks to realize the billion-dollar commodity sector goal

According to VASEP, the growth momentum of lobster exports currently comes almost entirely from green spiny lobsters. In 2025, this commodity item reached approximately 843 million USD, accounting for 98.3% of Vietnam's total lobster exports.

Conversely, ornate spiny lobsters—a high-value product serving the premium segment—reached only about 4.6 million USD due to technical barriers, particularly in the Chinese market.

In the first 6 months of 2026, Customs data recorded no exports of ornate spiny lobsters to China, while green spiny lobsters reached approximately 574 million USD, accounting for almost the entirety of export turnover to this market.

This demonstrates that resolving barriers for ornate spiny lobsters needs to be viewed as a central task, distinct from the group of green spiny lobsters currently experiencing stable export activity.

Currently, China applies requirements related to F2 breed origin and wildlife protection regulations to ornate spiny lobsters, while green spiny lobsters continue to be imported strongly.

From a market and enterprise perspective, VASEP believes that Vietnamese lobsters need to be approached as a high-value seafood commodity sector with its own development strategy, rather than merely a short-term growth product group.

To realize the goal of turning lobster into a billion-dollar export commodity sector, VASEP proposes four core groups of solutions:

First, there needs to be an orientation to position lobster as a strategic commodity sector aiming for billion-dollar turnover, linked with farming zone planning, developing live-goods logistics infrastructure, packaging facilities, quality standards, and origin traceability systems.

Second, priority should be given to working with the Chinese side to resolve technical barriers regarding ornate spiny lobsters, clarifying F2 breed requirements, scientific bases, origin records, as well as the possibility of establishing a controlled transitional mechanism for commercial products farmed in areas granted identifier codes.

Third, guidance must be provided to farmers, cooperatives, and enterprises to fully meet market requirements, including farming area code numbers, packaging facility codes, farming logs, control over breeds, feed, aquatic veterinary drugs, residues, quarantine, food safety, and shipment documentation.

Fourth, a specialized market information and early warning system must be constructed for the lobster sector, covering changes in import regulations, border gate conditions, tariffs, seasonal demand, price developments, and competition from Canada, the US, Australia, alongside other supply sources.

VASEP stated that the association will continue to leverage its role as a bridge between enterprises, regulatory agencies, local farming regions, and international partners; synthesize and convey the voice of lobster production, processing, and export enterprises to state management agencies; while simultaneously providing market information, warning of barriers, promoting trade, and fostering the brand image of "Vietnamese Lobster."

Source: Tap chi Kinh te - Tai chinh