Southeast Asia Fills Void as China's Lobster Imports Shift Away From Australia
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Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam are exporting more lobsters to China to fill the void left by Australia's ban. Their market share has doubled since 2019.
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China's top lobster sources are now New Zealand, Mexico, and the United States. Southeast Asia accounts for 6.8% of imports.
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Indonesia is China's 5th largest lobster exporter, with shipments up 44% in 2022. Thailand's exports grew 160-fold since 2019.
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Vietnam's exports dropped drastically from 39% of China's lobster imports in 2022 to just 1.7% last year due to violations of animal protection laws.
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The U.S. has also capitalized on Australia's absence, with its market share rising from 2.9% in 2019 to 16% last year. But China's total lobster imports still dropped 31% since 2020.