Frozen shrimp from Vietnam to Japan: what buyers specify and verify
Short answer: A corridor built on Japan-style value-added cuts. Piece weight, batter or breading specification and Japanese labelling are the decisive items. FishMatch reviews annual or seasonal programs of USD 250,000 or more, free for buyers, and contacts screened producers for you — there is no direct buyer–supplier contact.
Validated by official trade data
Trade evidence for this route
- VerifiedData year 2023
HS 030613 exports to Japan: US$285 million (quantity not reported).
Source: WITS / UN Comtrade — Viet Nam 2023 exports of HS 030613 by partner (HS 1988/92) (read 23 October 2026)
- VerifiedData year 2023
Prepared shrimp (HS 160520) to Japan: US$232 million, 20,459 t.
Source: WITS / UN Comtrade — Viet Nam 2023 exports of HS 160520 by partner (HS 1988/92) (read 23 October 2026)
Historical customs and association values, not prices, current demand or any supplier's capacity. No prices, transit times or certificates are claimed for this route.
Product on this route
- Species and production
- Penaeus vannamei, P. monodon (farmed)
- Candidate HS headings
- 0306.17 (raw); 1605.21 / 1605.29 (prepared) — confirm classification with your customs broker. Historical trade tables use the older code 030613 for all frozen shrimp and prawns.
- Raw frozen forms commonly specified
- Raw and cooked IQF — a starting list, not evidence that any producer can supply them.
- Prepared / value-added
- Nobashi, sushi, tempura, ebi fry
Likely buyer types
Retail seafood procurement · Foodservice procurement · Importers
FishMatch guidance from the product forms on this route; not evidence of named buyers or buying relationships.
Japan import rules
- Applies to: All shrimp for saleVerified
The importer files an import notification under the Food Sanitation Act (Article 27) for each shipment at a quarantine station; documents are examined and samples may be tested.
Official source: MHLW (Japan) — import procedure under the Food Sanitation Act
- Applies to: Live shrimp and certain uses onlyVerified
Animal quarantine covers live penaeid shrimp entering public waters or facilities that drain into them, and shrimp used as aquaculture feed. It is not a general rule for frozen food shrimp.
Official source: MAFF Animal Quarantine Service (Japan) — entry of aquatic animals
- Current eligibility of the origin country, the named processing establishment and the product form for Japan.
- Tariff classification, duties and importer registration — confirmed by your customs broker.
Japan import checks with links to the official authority.
Cold chain and logistics
- Agree the reefer set-point, a data logger per container and who downloads it at discharge; reject or claim against temperature excursions in writing.
- Ask for glaze percentage and net (de-glazed) weight on the carton and the invoice, then check both on arrival.
- Plan cold-store capacity at the discharge port before the vessel arrives; for standalone cold storage, see ColdMatch Group.
Standalone cold storage or reefer logistics? ColdMatch Group
Request checklist for this route
Tick what you can already state. Items you can't answer yet are fine; our team asks before any producer is approached.
The form opens with Vietnam and Japan filled in. A person reviews every request; buyers and producers stay confidential to each other. FishMatch coordinates sourcing and does not produce, certify, inspect or guarantee products.
FAQ — Vietnam shrimp for Japan
- How do I source frozen shrimp from Vietnam for Japan?
- Write one specification first: species, farmed or wild-caught, product form, count/size, glazing, packing, annual or seasonal volume, destination port, delivery window and the certificates your buyer requires. FishMatch reviews requests for annual or seasonal programs of USD 250,000 or more, free for buyers, and approaches screened producers on your behalf — there is no direct buyer–supplier contact.
- What must be verified before importing into Japan?
- Whether the origin country, the specific processing establishment and the product form are currently eligible for Japan, which official certificates and catch or production documents each lot needs, and labelling and residue rules. Check current official listings and your customs broker; a country appearing in trade statistics does not mean any particular plant is approved.
- Is there a price or transit time for this route?
- No price, volume or transit time is published here because none has been verified for this route. Offers depend on size, form, glazing, packing, Incoterms, timing and exchange rates; a reviewed RFQ returns comparable offers with their dates.
- How much shrimp moves on this route?
- 2023: HS 030613 exports to Japan: US$285 million (quantity not reported). Source: WITS / UN Comtrade — Viet Nam 2023 exports of HS 030613 by partner (HS 1988/92). This is a historical customs value, not current demand or a supplier's capacity.