Vietnamese people love lobster, Canadian snow crab

Nova Scotia's Minister of Fisheries and Fisheries, Steve Craig, has identified Vietnam as Canada's largest seafood trading partner in Southeast Asia, with bilateral trade reaching $14 billion in the previous year. Despite being the world's fourth-largest seafood exporter, Vietnam's domestic market remains receptive to Canadian seafood, which saw its consumption double in 2022 to $90 million. Canadian seafood, including lobster, snow crab, and heliotrope, is preferred in Vietnam due to its stability and lower prices, often being 5-40% cheaper than local and international alternatives. The number of Vietnamese businesses importing Canadian goods has grown to 50-60, with a surge in Canadian seafood exports to Vietnam, tripling from 2020. Craig is committed to facilitating the entry of Vietnamese seafood into the Canadian market to strengthen bi-directional trade and investment connections, especially in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Canada-Vietnam diplomatic relations and the 5th anniversary of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).