International

Markets

Bureau

MARKET INDICATOR REPORT | JUNE 2010

Inside China

Seafood Trade

TRADE SUMMARY

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

PAGE 2

CANADIAN PERFORMANCE

Inside China Seafood Trade

By the Numbers 3

Top Ten Suppliers 4

Although China is not currently a large market for Canadian exports of

fish and seafood, its importance has been growing. From 2007 to 2009,

seafood exports to China doubled, accounting for a 7% share of

Canadian agricultural exports.

From a global perspective, China is a large importer of fish and seafood,

importing over CAD $4.1 billion in 2009, an increase of 3.5% from 2008.

However, its import values are dwarfed by countries with smaller

populations such as the U.S., as China is able to supply much of its own

demand. The country mainly imports its fish and seafood from Russia,

with 32.7% of total imports, followed by the U.S. (15.0%), Norway (7.4%)

and Japan (5.5%).

China’s main fish and seafood imports from all countries in 2009

included frozen fish with bones ($1.5B), frozen pacific salmon (excluding

fillets) ($427.4M), frozen cod (excl. fillets), ($366.8M), cuttle fish and

squid ($312.0M), frozen plaice (excl. fillets) ($170.5M), and frozen

shrimp and prawns ($147.6M).

In 2009, China exported just over $11.5B in fish and seafood

products worldwide, an increase of 6.5% from the previous year. Most of

China’s exports came from fish fillets and other fish meat ($3.5B),

crustaceans ($1.2B), and prepared or preserved fish ($1.2B). Top

destinations included Japan (25.5%), the U.S. (20%) and South Korea

(9.8%).

In 2009, Canada was the fifth-largest supplier of fish and seafood to China, with sales of $182.2M (based on Chinese import data). Fish and seafood exports to China have declined 7.7% from 2008 to 2009. Much of this decline can be attributed to a reduction in exports of frozen crab, down to $45.2M, frozen shrimp and prawns ($28.4M), frozen fish ($13.8M), frozen whiting and hake ($10.7M), and live, fresh or chilled molluscs ($10M).

In 2009, China received 6% of Canada’s fish and seafood exports, while the U.S received 63%, and Japan almost 7%.

For Canada, fish and seafood is the fourteenth most significant export sector to China, behind other commodities such as grain, woodpulp, ores, machinery, oil, plastic and wood. The fish and seafood sector represents just 2% of all products exported to China in 2009.

China is the top producer and

consumer of fish and seafood

products in the world.

“

”

PAGE 3

BY THE NUMBERS

Top Seafood Imports in 2009 (China) World

($billion CAD) Top Supplier

Total 4.133 Russia

Frozen fish, with bones 1.504 Russia

Frozen Pacific salmon (excluding fillets) 0.427 Russia

Frozen cod (excluding fillets) 0.366 Russia

Cuttle fish and squid 0.312 U.S.

Frozen Plaice 0.170 U.S.

Frozen shrimp and prawns 0.147 Canada

China Import Changes From World

5%

-12%

17%

46% 47%

-35%

-10%

-40%

-30%

-20%

-10%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Frozen f ish,

not f illets

Crustaceans Fish f illets and

other f ish meat

Fresh or

chilled f ish

January-December 08/09

% C

han

ge

Live fish Fish, dried, salted etc. Molluscs

Top Chinese Cities/districts for World Fish and Seafood Imports

2019

1073

206 158 117 89 67 56 56 490

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

Qin

gdao

Dalian

Sha

ngha

i

Tian

jin

Fuzh

ou

Cha

ngch

un

She

nzhe

n

Gua

ngzh

ou

Beijin

g

Ningb

o

2009

Millio

ns

of

Ca

na

dia

n

Do

lla

rs

Source: Global Trade Atlas, 2010

Source: World Trade Atlas, 2010

Source: Global Trade Atlas, 2010

TOP TEN SEAFOOD SUPPLIERS TO CHINA

PAGE 4

Frozen fish, with bones: $837.8M

Frozen cod, excluding fillets: $183.3M

Frozen Pacific salmon, excl. fillets: $156.5M

Frozen fish livers and roe: $30.9M

Frozen, live chilled, dried, salted snails: $24.5M

Frozen plaice, excl. fillets: $143.9M

Frozen Pacific salmon, excl. fillets: $122.6M

Frozen fish, with bones: $84.6M

Frozen, salted, dried cuttle fish and squid: $63.4M

Frozen cod, excl. fillets: $61.6M

Frozen Pacific salmon, excl. fillets: $104.7M

Frozen fish, with bones: $44.7M

Frozen mackerel, excl. fillets: $12.3M

Frozen, salted, dried cuttle fish and squid: $10.0M

Frozen crab: $8.8M

Russian Exports to China in 2009 U.S. exports to China in 2009

Norwegian Exports to China in 2009 Japanese Exports to China in 2009

Source

: G

lob

al T

rade

Atla

s,

20

10

Canadian Exports to China in 2009 Indian Exports to China in 2009

South Korean Exports to China in 2009 Thai Exports to China in 2009

Frozen mackerel, excl. fillets: $62.1M

Fresh or chilled Atlantic salmon: $60.6M

Frozen haddock, excl. fillets: $54.3M

Frozen cod, excl. fillets: $43.0M

Frozen fish, with bones: $42.2M

Frozen crab, in shell: $45.2M

Live or cooked crab: $32.6M

Frozen shrimp and prawns, in shell: $28.4M

Frozen fish, with bones: $13.8M

Frozen halibut/greenland turbot, excl. fillets: $10.7M

Frozen fish, with bones: $104.5M

Frozen, dried, salted cuttle fish: $13.6M

Frozen shrimp and prawns, in shell: $9.1M

Frozen sole, excl. fillets: $4.2M

Live or cooked crab: $2.5M

Frozen, dried, salted cuttle fish $49.4M

Frozen fish, with bones: $35.3M

Frozen cod, excl. fillets: $8.4M

Live, chilled, salted, frozen, dried snails: $8.6M

Frozen Pacific salmon, excl. fillets: $3.2M

Frozen fish, with bones: $62.5M

Frozen shrimp and prawns, in shell: $13.4M

Fresh, chilled, salted, dried shrimp and

prawns: $54.3M

Frozen, dried, salted cuttle fish and squid $4.6M

Frozen lobsters, in shell: $3.0M

Dutch Exports to China in 2009

Frozen cod, excl. fillets: $35.4M

Frozen fish, with bones: $33.0M

Frozen haddock, excl. fillets: $22.6M

Frozen herring, excl. fillets: $4.6M

Frozen Atlantic pollock, excl. fillets: $3.4M

Frozen fish, with bones: $54.8M

Frozen, dried, salted, cuttle fish and squid: $12.2M

Frozen cod, excl. fillets: $11.3M

Frozen Atlantic pollock, excl. fillets: $2.2M

Frozen whiting and hake, excl. fillets: $1.9M

New Zealand Exports to China in 2009

Inside China Seafood Trade © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, 2010 ISSN 1920-6615 Market Indicator Report AAFC No. 11220E Photo Credits All Photographs reproduced in this publication are used by permission of the rights holders. All images, unless otherwise noted, are copyright Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada.

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The Government of Canada has prepared this report based on primary and secondary sources of information. Although every effort has been made to ensure that the information is accurate, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada assumes no liability for any actions taken based on the information contained herein.