Vietnam’s crab exports reached nearly US$86 million in 2025, up by almost six per cent compared to 2024.
According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), a notable feature of 2025 was the strong market concentration in the United States, which accounted for more than 81 per cent of Vietnam’s total crab export value, up 10 per cent from the previous year.
In contrast, exports to several Asian markets declined significantly, resulting in only modest overall growth for the year.
In the global crab import landscape, the US is the leading market. It is currently the world’s largest crab importer, particularly for frozen crab products, with import value reaching nearly US$1.1 billion—far ahead of other markets such as Japan, China, and South Korea.
For blue swimming crab products specifically, the US remains a key destination, significantly influencing global demand, with supply mainly coming from Asian countries, including Vietnam.
However, exports to the US faced numerous challenges over the past year. In August 2025, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced the 2025 comparability findings under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) in the Federal Register.
According to NOAA, “comparability determinations” may lead to import restrictions on products from fisheries or fishing gear that do not meet US marine mammal protection standards. VASEP said this poses a major uncertainty heading into 2026.
Currently, the import ban on crab products from Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka has been temporarily suspended until NOAA Fisheries completes its review of the comparability findings—i.e., assessments of whether exporting countries provide marine mammal protections equivalent to those of the US.
However, the final outcome will depend on the quality and completeness of the information submitted by Vietnam to NOAA Fisheries.
While the US remains the key market in terms of scale, the EU stands out in terms of growth rate. In 2025, crab exports to the EU reached over US$3 million, up 102 per cent.
Within the bloc, France was the largest importer, with more than US$3 million, up 112 per cent (ranking second among Vietnam’s crab export markets, after the US).
Alongside the EU, Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) member countries also recorded positive growth of nearly 29 per cent. VASEP said this presents important room for Vietnamese enterprises to promote processed and value-added products, leverage tariff preferences, and tap into consumer trends favouring products with clear traceability.
In contrast, crab exports to China and Hong Kong dropped sharply by 48 per cent, to just under US$3 million. Some other markets, such as Japan and Canada, also declined or fluctuated, reflecting intensified competition and shifting demand across distribution channels.
Global demand for crab continued to rise in 2025, supported by consumer preference for high-value seafood. However, supply mainly depends on wild capture fisheries and is therefore more volatile, unlike shrimp, which largely relies on aquaculture.
VASEP said this dynamic often creates unpredictable cycles of pricing, raw material availability, and delivery schedules, requiring businesses to proactively manage sourcing plans and contracts.
Compliance with MMPA requirements is currently creating procedural challenges for exporters, limiting not only crab exports but potentially also affecting other seafood sectors. In addition, the heavy dependence on the US market makes Vietnam’s crab exports particularly vulnerable to policy changes.
Looking ahead, if MMPA-related requirements are tightened or procedural disruptions occur, exports to the US may fluctuate significantly, forcing businesses to pivot more rapidly toward the EU, CPTPP markets, and other destinations. The upward trend in global crab consumption seen in 2025 is expected to continue into 2026, according to VASEP.