Vietnamese people eat hundreds of tons of Canadian lobsters every year.

The total amount of lobster imported from Canada in 2016 was nearly 120 tons. Since the beginning of 2017, the amount of lobster imported from Canada to Vietnam has also reached nearly 74 tons.

The issue of imported lobsters from Canada is being discussed widely in Vietnam at a fairly cheap price. A representative of the Department of Animal Health (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) said that our country has allowed the import of lobsters from Canada since 2014. Lobsters imported to Vietnam must always ensure quarantine conditions and be granted import inspection certificates before being sold.

Vietnamese people eat hundreds of tons of Canadian lobsters every year.

There are two types of Canadian lobsters that can be imported: live lobsters and frozen lobsters. To be imported into Vietnam, shipments must be licensed by the Directorate of Fisheries. Prior to export, shipments are inspected by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and issued an export quarantine certificate.

When the goods arrive at the border gate, the border veterinary agency will inspect and quarantine the shrimp. If the shrimp are healthy, they will be granted a certificate and sent for consumption.

As for frozen Canadian lobsters, the shipment is inspected by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and issued an export quarantine certificate. Upon arrival at the border gate in Vietnam, it must be inspected and sampled for testing. If it meets the requirements, an import quarantine certificate will be issued.

According to the representative of the Department of Animal Health, lobster imports from Canada to Vietnam have increased sharply over the years. Specifically, in 2014, we only imported about 3 tons of live Canadian lobster. However, in 2015, we imported nearly 9 tons of the same type of live lobster.

In addition, in 2015, Vietnam also imported more than 23 tons of frozen Canadian lobsters. If including live and frozen lobsters, in 2015, the amount of shrimp imported from this market increased 11 times compared to 2015.

Frozen Canadian lobsters are sold for only 450,000 - 650,000 VND/kg.

By 2016, the amount of lobster imported from Canada to Vietnam reached nearly 120 tons (4 times more than in 2015, 40 times more than in 2014). Of which, live lobsters were imported at more than 57 tons, frozen lobsters were imported at nearly 62 tons.

“In the first 9 months of this year alone, the amount of lobster imported from Canada has reached 74 tons,” said a representative of the Department of Animal Health.

In fact, Canadian lobsters are currently flooding the Vietnamese market and are being sold at super cheap prices compared to domestic lobsters. For example, frozen lobsters weighing 0.5 - 3kg/each are currently priced at only 450,000 - 650,000 VND/kg; live lobsters weighing 1 - 6kg are priced from 850,000 to over 1 million VND/kg.

Notably, this type of shrimp is extremely popular with Vietnamese consumers. Because in addition to the delicious, firm meat, the price of Canadian live lobster is only half, or even 1/3, cheaper than domestic lobster.

According to VNN