Vietnam's Position as a Cod Processing Alternative Outside of China is Rising

Although official data has not disclosed Vietnam's specific import tonnage and value, the fact that it is listed among major markets already reflects Vietnam's gradually increasing weight in international frozen cod trade. For a long time, China has been Norway's largest cod processing re-export country. Norway exports raw fish to China, where Chinese enterprises process fish fillets and segments before re-exporting to European and American markets. However, with tense China-US trade relations, this pathway is encountering serious obstacles. China's cod import volume is also declining. In May 2025, Norway's frozen cod exports to China dropped to 20%, the lowest level since 2015. The average share from the beginning of the year to date is only 22%, indicating pressure on China's processing system. Against this backdrop, Vietnam is gradually taking on some of China's "vacated" production capacity. Vietnam has a mature seafood processing industrial chain, with particular expertise in ...