New Articles

The Largest Import Markets for Frozen, Dried, and Smoked Fish

frozen

The Largest Import Markets for Frozen, Dried, and Smoked Fish

Fish is an essential part of the human diet and is consumed in various forms across the globe. Among these, frozen, dried, and smoked fish are popular choices due to their longer shelf life and convenience. In this article, we will explore the top import markets for these three fish categories and delve into the key statistics and numbers that define these markets.

1. United States

The United States, with an import value of $15.6 billion in 2022, emerges as the leading market for frozen, dried, and smoked fish. This strong demand is primarily driven by the popularity of seafood in the American diet and the extensive consumption of processed fish products. The United States is known for its booming e-commerce sector, which further enhances the availability and accessibility of these fish products.

2. China

China takes the second spot on the list with an import value of $12.7 billion in 2022. The growing middle-class population in China has led to increased demand for high-quality protein sources, including fish. Additionally, changing dietary habits and an increasing focus on health have contributed to the surge in imports of frozen, dried, and smoked fish in the country.

3. Japan

Japan is renowned for its love for seafood, and its import value of $9.0 billion in 2022 solidifies its position as one of the top import markets for frozen, dried, and smoked fish. With a rich culinary tradition that heavily relies on seafood, Japanese consumers have a strong preference for these types of fish products. Moreover, the growth of the sushi and sashimi culture in Japan has further bolstered the demand for frozen and smoked fish.

4. Spain

Spain follows closely with an import value of $3.3 billion in 2022. Spaniards have a deep-rooted connection with fish in their cuisine and culture. Both fresh and processed fish products are integral parts of traditional Spanish dishes. The convenient nature of frozen, dried, and smoked fish has made them a popular choice among consumers, contributing to the significant import volumes.

5. South Korea

South Korea holds the fifth position on the list, with an import value of $3.2 billion in 2022. Korean cuisine, known for its spiciness and diverse flavors, includes various fish dishes. Importing frozen, dried, and smoked fish helps meet the demand for these traditional and contemporary Korean recipes. Additionally, the hectic urban lifestyle has increased the preference for ready-to-cook fish products, boosting their imports.

6. Germany

Germany, with its import value of $3.2 billion in 2022, demonstrates a significant market for frozen, dried, and smoked fish. Germans have a strong affinity for fish, and it is a staple in their culinary traditions. As a result, demand for processed fish products, particularly frozen and smoked fish, remains high. The convenience factor and long shelf life of these products further drive their popularity in the German market.

7. France

France ranks seventh on the list, with an import value of $2.9 billion in 2022. French cuisine is renowned worldwide for its sophistication and emphasis on fresh ingredients, including fish. However, frozen, dried, and smoked fish have gained popularity due to their availability throughout the year, even when certain fish species are out of season. This convenience factor contributes significantly to their import demand.

8. Thailand

Thailand follows with an import value of $2.8 billion in 2022. The Thai population’s penchant for seafood reflects in their cuisine, which includes a wide range of fish and shellfish dishes. However, the convenience and longer shelf life of frozen, dried, and smoked fish make them a popular choice among Thai consumers. The thriving tourism sector also contributes to the demand for these fish products.

9. Netherlands

The Netherlands holds the ninth position on the list, with an import value of $2.7 billion in 2022. With its strategic geographical location, the Netherlands serves as a major hub for fish trade within Europe. The country has a strong fishing industry, but the demand for a diverse range of fish products, including frozen, dried, and smoked fish, is met through imports. Additionally, the Netherlands acts as a key distribution center for these products across the European continent.

10. Italy

Italy completes the top ten import markets, with an import value of $2.5 billion in 2022. Italian cuisine heavily relies on seafood, and fish plays a vital role in various regional dishes. The popularity of processed fish products, such as frozen and smoked fish, stems from their versatility in Italian culinary traditions. Moreover, the convenience of these products aligns well with the busy lifestyles of Italian consumers.

In conclusion, the global demand for frozen, dried, and smoked fish is driven by changing dietary preferences, convenience, and the influence of culinary traditions worldwide. The United States leads the pack with its immense appetite for these fish products, closely followed by China and Japan. The market intelligence platform, IndexBox, provides valuable insights into these import markets and aids in understanding the key statistics that shape the global fish trade.

Source: IndexBox Market Intelligence Platform 

 

frozen fish

Global Frozen Fish Market – China Holds 17 Percent of World Exports, with $7.6B in 2018

IndexBox has just published a new report: ‘World – Frozen Fish – Market Analysis, Forecast, Size, Trends and Insights’. Here is a summary of the report’s key findings.

The global frozen fish market revenue amounted to $118.3B in 2018, rising by 6.6% against the previous year. The market value increased at an average annual rate of +2.1% over the period from 2014 to 2018.

Driven by increasing demand for frozen fish worldwide, the market is expected to continue an upward consumption trend over the next decade. Market performance is forecast to decelerate, expanding with an anticipated CAGR of +0.8% for the period from 2018 to 2030, which is projected to bring the market volume to 43M tonnes by the end of 2030.

Frozen Fish Trade 2014-2018

In 2018, the global exports of frozen fish amounted to 17M tonnes, increasing by 6.5% against the previous year. The total export volume increased at an average annual rate of +2.8% from 2014 to 2018; the trend pattern remained relatively stable, with somewhat noticeable fluctuations being recorded throughout the analyzed period. The pace of growth was the most pronounced in 2017 with an increase of 7.1% year-to-year. Over the period under review, global frozen fish exports reached their maximum in 2018 and are likely to continue its growth in the near future.

In value terms, frozen fish exports stood at $43.9B (IndexBox estimates) in 2018.

Exports by Country

The exports of the twelve major exporters of frozen fish, namely China, Russia, the U.S., Viet Nam, Norway, the Netherlands, Chile, Taiwan, Chinese, Japan, Spain, Namibia and India, represented more than half of total export.

From 2014 to 2018, the most notable rate of growth in terms of exports, amongst the main exporting countries, was attained by India, while exports for the other global leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

In value terms, China ($7.6B) remains the largest frozen fish supplier worldwide, comprising 17% of global exports. The second position in the ranking was occupied by the U.S. ($3.6B), with a 8.2% share of global exports. It was followed by Russia, with a 6.7% share.

Export Prices by Country

In 2018, the average frozen fish export price amounted to $2,574 per tonne, increasing by 2.9% against the previous year. Over the period under review, the frozen fish export price, however, continues to indicate a relatively flat trend pattern. The most prominent rate of growth was recorded in 2018 when the average export price increased by 2.9% y-o-y. Over the period under review, the average export prices for frozen fish attained their maximum at $2,628 per tonne in 2014; afterwards, it flattened through to 2018.

Prices varied noticeably by the country of origin; the country with the highest price was Chile ($5,059 per tonne), while Namibia ($1,334 per tonne) was amongst the lowest.

From 2014 to 2018, the most notable rate of growth in terms of prices was attained by India, while the other global leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

Imports by Country

In 2018, China (2.2M tonnes), followed by Thailand (1.4M tonnes), Japan (1.4M tonnes), the U.S. (1M tonnes) and South Korea (0.9M tonnes) were the largest importers of frozen fish, together making up 40% of total imports. The following importers – Viet Nam (706K tonnes), Nigeria (581K tonnes), Spain (515K tonnes), the Netherlands (470K tonnes), Germany (436K tonnes), Cameroon (404K tonnes) and Russia (371K tonnes) – together made up 20% of total imports.

From 2014 to 2018, the most notable rate of growth in terms of imports, amongst the main importing countries, was attained by Viet Nam, while imports for the other global leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

In value terms, the largest frozen fish importing markets worldwide were Japan ($6B), the U.S. ($5B) and China ($4B), together comprising 34% of global imports. Thailand, South Korea, Viet Nam, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Russia, Nigeria and Cameroon lagged somewhat behind, together accounting for a further 29%.

Import Prices by Country

The average frozen fish import price stood at $2,582 per tonne in 2018, picking up by 2.2% against the previous year.

There were significant differences in the average prices amongst the major importing countries. In 2018, the country with the highest price was the U.S. ($5,112 per tonne), while Nigeria ($839 per tonne) was amongst the lowest.

From 2014 to 2018, the most notable rate of growth in terms of prices was attained by Russia, while the other global leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

Source: IndexBox AI Platform

Asia’s Fish Fillet Market – China’s Export Share Exceeded 50%

IndexBox has just published a new report: ‘Asia – Frozen Fish Fillet – Market Analysis, Forecast, Size, Trends and Insights.’ Here is a summary of the report’s key findings.

The revenue of the frozen fish fillet market in Asia amounted to $3.9B in 2017, growing by 4.9% against the previous year. This figure reflects the total revenues of producers and importers (excluding logistics costs, retail marketing costs, and retailers’ margins, which will be included in the final consumer price). The market value increased at an average annual rate of +1.9% over the period from 2007 to 2017; the trend pattern indicated some noticeable fluctuations being recorded in certain years.

The growth pace was the most rapid in 2009, when the market value increased by 35% against the previous year. Over the period under review, the frozen fish fillet market attained its peak figure level at $4.6B in 2011; however, from 2012 to 2017, consumption remained at a lower figure.

Production in Asia

In 2017, production of frozen fish fillet in Asia amounted to 1.9M tonnes, remaining relatively unchanged against the previous year. The total output volume increased at an average annual rate of +1.6% from 2007 to 2017; the trend pattern remained relatively stable, with only minor fluctuations being recorded throughout the analyzed period.

Exports in Asia

The exports totaled 1.7M tonnes in 2017, flattening at the previous year. The total export volume increased at an average annual rate of +3.5% over the period from 2007 to 2017; however, the trend pattern indicated some noticeable fluctuations being recorded in certain years.

In value terms, frozen fish fillet exports amounted to $7B (IndexBox estimates) in 2017.

Exports by Country

China was the main exporting country with an export of around 901K tonnes, which accounted for 53% of total exports. It was distantly followed by Vietnam (597K tonnes), constituting 35% share of total exports. The following exporters – Indonesia (43K tonnes) and Thailand (27K tonnes) – together made up 4.2% of total exports.

From 2007 to 2017, the most notable rate of growth in terms of exports, amongst the main exporting countries, was attained by Vietnam, while the other leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

In value terms, China ($4B) remains the largest frozen fish fillet supplier in Asia, comprising 57% of total frozen fish fillet exports. The second position in the ranking was occupied by Vietnam ($1.6B), with a 23% share of total exports. It was followed by Indonesia, with a 3.8% share.

Export Prices by Country

In 2017, the frozen fish fillet export price in Asia amounted to $4,130 per tonne, therefore, remained relatively stable against the previous year. Over the last decade, it increased at an average annual rate of +2.0%. The growth pace was the most rapid in 2008, an increase of 14% against the previous year. Over the period under review, the export prices for frozen fish fillet attained their maximum at $4,486 per tonne in 2011; however, from 2012 to 2017, export prices failed to regain their momentum.

Export prices varied noticeably by the country of origin; the country with the highest export price was Thailand ($7,128 per tonne), while Vietnam ($2,629 per tonne) was amongst the lowest.

From 2007 to 2017, the most notable rate of growth in terms of export prices was attained by Thailand, while the other leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

Imports in Asia

In 2017, imports of frozen fish fillet in Asia totaled 864K tonnes, picking up by 4.2% against the previous year. The total imports indicated a strong growth from 2007 to 2017: its volume increased at an average annual rate of +6.8% over the last decade. The trend pattern, however, indicated some noticeable fluctuations being recorded throughout the analyzed period. Based on 2017 figures, the frozen fish fillet imports increased by +93.6% against 2007 indices.

In value terms, frozen fish fillet imports amounted to $3.5B (IndexBox estimates) in 2017.

Imports by Country

Japan dominates frozen fish fillet imports structure, amounting to 524K tonnes, which was approx. 61% of total imports in 2017. It was distantly followed by China (56K tonnes), comprising 6.4% share of total imports. Israel (39K tonnes), South Korea (38K tonnes), the Philippines (26K tonnes), China, Hong Kong SAR (25K tonnes), Singapore (21K tonnes), Malaysia (19K tonnes), Iran (14K tonnes), Taiwan, Chinese (14K tonnes), Saudi Arabia (14K tonnes) and Vietnam (14K tonnes) followed a long way behind the leaders.

From 2007 to 2017, average annual rates of growth with regard to frozen fish fillet imports into Japan stood at +5.8%. At the same time, the Philippines (+60.0%), Taiwan, Chinese (+24.6%), Vietnam (+21.3%), China (+20.3%), Singapore (+18.5%), Iran (+18.0%), Malaysia (+15.3%), Saudi Arabia (+10.8%), China, Hong Kong SAR (+1.4%), Israel (+1.2%) and South Korea (+1.2%) displayed positive paces of growth. Moreover, the Philippines emerged as the fastest growing importer in Asia, with a CAGR of +60.0% from 2007-2017. Malaysia (-1.6%), Singapore (-2%), the Philippines (-3%), China (-5.4%) and Japan (-26.2%) significantly weakened its position in terms of the global imports, while the shares of the other countries remained relatively stable throughout the analyzed period.

In value terms, Japan ($2.1B) constitutes the largest market for imported frozen fish fillet in Asia, comprising 61% of total frozen fish fillet imports. The second position in the ranking was occupied by South Korea ($233M), with a 6.7% share of total imports. It was followed by Israel, with a 6.1% share.

Import Prices by Country

In 2017, the frozen fish fillet import price in Asia amounted to $3,996 per tonne, surging by 8.9% against the previous year. Overall, the frozen fish fillet import price, however, continues to indicate a relatively flat trend pattern.

There were significant differences in the average import prices amongst the major importing countries. In 2017, the country with the highest import price was Taiwan, Chinese ($6,346 per tonne), while the Philippines ($1,515 per tonne) was amongst the lowest.

From 2007 to 2017, the most notable rate of growth in terms of import prices was attained by Saudi Arabia, while the other leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

Source: IndexBox AI Platform