UK Pavilion at the China Fisheries and Seafood Expo

In partnership with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), we are hosting a UK pavilion at the event in Qingdao. The UK pavilion will create a strong presence at the expo, showcasing seafood from across the UK. 

China has emerged as the third largest market for UK seafood (by value). In 2025 we exported 26,270 tonnes (live weight) worth £132m (+15.9%) to China – with Atlantic salmon, mackerel, brown crab, nephrops and lobster being the main species by value. 

China Fisheries and Seafood Expo is the largest seafood trade show in Asia, and one of the largest in the world, attracting seafood companies and buyers from across Asia and further afield.   

This year’s event is expected to attract more than 45,000 seafood professionals from over 139 countries and regions. 

About the China Fisheries and Seafood Expo  

The China Fisheries and Seafood Expo is the primary seafood trade exhibition event in Asia, attracting seafood companies and buyers from across Asia and further afield. Held at the Hongdao International Convention and Exhibition Centre (HICEC) in Qingdao, on the shores of The Yellow Sea, between 28-30 October, it will be the 29th edition of the expo and is expected to be larger and busier than ever before. 

With over 45,000 visitors attending last year’s expo, this year’s event is projected to attract even more visitors across its three days.   

About the pavilion  

The kitchen is led by renowned chef, author/food writer, broadcaster and past Chief Executive of the Billingsgate Seafood Training School in London, CJ Jackson – along with chef Max Burns, who besides being a fantastic young professional chef in his own right, is also a prominent social media influencer in China.  

Max was born in Qingdao and spent his formative years in the city – and is a fluent Mandarin speaker. He has over 4 million followers in China across his various different social media channels – and his proficient language skills help greatly when conveying messages and back-stories about the UK seafood that is being showcased and sampled on the UK pavilion – and his extensive social media reach is utilised in spreading wider news and stories that extol the virtues and qualities of UK seafood, to a wider Chinese audience.  

Representatives from UK Government and Seafish will be on hand to provide insight and advice to support your trade plans.   

Opportunities for UK seafood businesses  

Attending companies can apply for a branded podium on the pavilion. These free-standing podiums act as a reception desk and are an ideal signpost and focal point for your business. The podiums cost £1,500 each and will be offered to eligible UK seafood exporters on a first-come, first-served basis.  

The communal meeting facility on the UK pavilion provides the perfect venue for conducting business meetings. UK Government trade specialists will also be on hand to help you to understand the Chinese market and to help forge those all-important connections. Interpreters will also be available to facilitate discussions.  

UK seafood businesses have the chance to showcase products during CFSE 2026. Our live chef kitchen will showcase a range of fish and shellfish species and associated demonstration recipes. We’d love to hear from businesses interested in donating samples of their seafood products to be showcased as part of the UK pavilion’s live kitchen.   

UK registered seafood export companies can apply for a branded podium via the form in the section below. 

Market Discovery and Seafood Showcase, Republic of Korea  

In conjunction with the UK pavilion’s attendance at CFSE, the UK will also be hosting a follow-on scoping visit to the Republic of Korea (ROK) to better understand the opportunity for UK seafood, build in-person connections with importers and buyers, and promote better awareness of UK seafood among ROK buyers. 

Running from 2 to 4 November 2026, this activity will overlap with the Busan International Seafood Show in Busan, ROK (2-5 November), the key date in the ROK seafood promotion calendar. 

ROK is a burgeoning market for international seafood exports, with the third-highest consumption of seafood per capita in the world. UK seafood is rising in popularity in Korea; in 2025 the UK exported £35m of seafood to Korea, a 14% increase in the previous year. There is significant interest in UK seafood from major department stores in ROK, as well as from Coupang, ROK’s primary online retailer. However, consumer and broad industry awareness of the benefits of UK seafood is low.  

Whilst the species and products that the UK specialises in are popular in ROK, international competitors currently have a higher market share (e.g. Norway for salmon and mackerel, Canada for lobster). This higher market share is the result of international competitors running longer-standing and better-financed promotional campaigns to sell the benefits of their products to the ROK market. The existing industry interest in UK seafood, coupled with the precedent of promotional activity set by international competitors, demonstrates that ROK is a high-potential market with strong opportunities for UK exporters.  

The visit will be led by Defra’s Agriculture Attache in Korea, along with the British Chamber of Commerce in Korea (BCCK) as delivery partners in country.  

Participation in this planned visit will be open to interested UK exporters who will be attending CFSE – and costs of participation in the ROK visit will be covered by UK Government.  

Further information about the planned ROK visit can be obtained by contacting Phillip Quirie. 

Get in touch 

Interested in showcasing your seafood or providing product samples at CFSE 2026?   

Please let us know if you’re planning to attend CFSE 2026, want to apply for one of the branded podiums, or are interested in providing some product samples for showcasing at this exhibition.

Register your interest using the link below or get in touch with our team for more information. 

Further information  

You can find out more about our work supporting international seafood trade from the links below: