ANALYSIS: Opportunity for Chinese Catfish with Tight Domestic Supply 

Wholesale quotes collected on Chinese catfish frozen fillets during week 21 saw a wider range of prices compared to previous weeks. Depending on individual frozen inventory levels, prices ranged from $3.45 per pound on smaller 3-5 oz. sized fillets up to $3.80 per pound reported on 5-7 oz. sizes.  The bulk of trade, however, fell in between $3.55-$3.70 per pound. The wholesale market has continued to adjust lower in May due to the COVID-19 related halt in demand and sales...

ANALYSIS: Bigger Canadian Whole Fish Beginning to See an Uptick in the U.S. Market

The U.S. market for Canadian whole fish has been under downward pricing pressure since the “Great Lockdown” began in March. An item that is heavily used in the Foodservice sector, demand for whole fish out of Canada was hit hard by restaurant closures. However, with states beginning to open back up at 25 to 50 percent capacity, coupled with a lack of available fish out of Europe and an overall lack of availability of larger sized fish out of all origins...

ANALYSIS: Cod Imports Increase Outside of China

While year-to-date total cod imports into the U.S increased only 1.8 percent compared to the same timeframe last year, volumes from individual countries saw more significant gains. Imports from Russia increased 62% or by 870,795 pounds, Vietnam imported 39% or 412,972 pounds more, and Indonesia saw a 1440% increase, or 539,150 pounds, as there were no reported imports from the country during this time last year.

When looking at import data from China, year-to-date volumes from January through March fall 2.1 percent...

ANALYSIS: Farmed Salmon Market Continues to Weaken Without Foodservice, Changes at Retail

As we previously reported, a drop post-Easter is not unusual for farmed salmon. But 2020 has been far from typical.

The farmed salmon market this week dropped 6 percent from the previous week and is down 19 percent from the middle of March when much of the U.S. market started shutting down foodservice due to COVID-19.

Retail activity this week was reported to be up but does not appear to be active enough to take excess...

ANALYSIS: Q1 Shrimp Imports Predicted to Sit at Record High

Shrimp imports for March 2020 will not be available until approximately one month from now. Yet, in our attempts to accelerate the availability of this data using current customs data and proprietary modeling, our estimates for March 2020 indicate that imports grew by 10.3% compared to March 2019, totaling 119 million lbs.

This would position shrimp imports at a record high during Q1 with 379.2 million lbs. in 2020, registering a 16.6% increase or 53.6 million lbs. more than Q1 2019...

ANALYSIS: West Coast Halibut Season Opens Amid COVID-19

The fresh west coast halibut season began on March 15 amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Initial “first fish” sales were somewhat unsettled and reported to be in the mid $7.00 range, settling at $6.26 to close the month - a  10-year low. Current market prices for whole fresh 20-40 lbs., are 19% lower than their 10-year average of $7.77.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, fresh seafood sales have been constrained as demand has shifted from...

ANALYSIS: A Look at the Impact of the Coronavirus on the Cruise Industry

The impact of coronavirus continues to grow with increased restrictions implemented daily.

China restricted movements and shut down business commerce, Italy followed suit after a surge in cases, and now the United States has restricted travel from Europe, have stopped professional sport leagues or large gatherings in certain states, or have called for no spectators at others. This has impacted the global economy leading to steep financial market losses and bond yields.

The situation is so fluid that only four days ago, the U.S State Department recommended...

ANALYSIS: Salmon at Retail Remains Active; Shift in Market Share for Whole Fish

Market participants in the farmed salmon market, as with all other markets across the globe, continue to watch how the coronavirus (COVID-19) unfolds and how consumers, governments, etc… react. As has been documented in other reports and articles on our sites, foodservice demand is very quiet and thus having an effect on fresh whole salmon; which is the more popular product form for foodservice. Most origins of fresh whole salmon adjusted lower yesterday with the exception of Chilean whole fish which had...

ANALYSIS: European Demand Continues to Support Red Argentine Shrimp Sales, Despite Cautious Buying

While European supply of wild caught Pleoticus Muelleri—better known as Argentine red shrimp—remains somewhat insulated from the COVID-19 outbreak, economic and geo-political uncertainty continue to influence trade dynamics.

In a bid to protect the growth of juvenile Argentine red shrimps, carefully considered measures, including adjustments to harvest schedules, have been taken in recent years. As a result, the Argentine red shrimp industry is the most profitable fishery in the Argentine Sea.

Between 2012 and 2015 the Argentine red shrimp fishery was...

ANALYSIS: Frozen Atlantic Salmon Imports Hit All Time High in 2019

Frozen Atlantic salmon fillets finish 2019 at an all-time high. A total of 111.8 million pounds were imported for 2019, which is 9.9 percent higher than 2018 and 12.7 percent higher than the overall 2017 total.

The leaders in the category saw higher levels to close out 2019. Chile imported 70.3 million pounds, up 1.5 percent from last year and Norway imported 31.2 million pounds, up 8.6 percent from last year.

The month of December saw the largest spike on record...

ANALYSIS: Alaska Snow Crab Begins to Trickle into U.S. Market

Alaskan snow crab is reportedly starting to become available. We have reported in the frozen crab commentary that trading looks to be taking place on 5-8s between $8.75 and $8.95 FOB Seattle.

The 2019/2020 Bering Sea snow crab season technically runs between October 15 through May 31. However, fishing does not usually start to pick up until the end of December and into January, with the highest volumes seen in the market in February and March...

...

ANALYSIS: Squid Imports Lowest in 10 Years, 2020 Outlook

2019 imports of squid into the U.S. totaled 131.6 million pounds of volume with an estimated value of $313.9 million. Volume has fallen just over 30.2 million pounds from the previous 3-year average of 161.8 million pounds.

When looking at a breakdown by origin, volume from mainland China retreated significantly, falling 33.3 million pounds from 2018 or by 32.6 percent. Republic of Korea (-41.5%), Argentina (-12.8%), India (-4.7%), and China (Taiwan, -2.4%) also exported less product in 2019, while New Zealand..

ANALYSIS: Lobster Imports Higher in December; More In-Shell and Meat from Canada

Imports of lobster products into the U.S. increased for the second-straight month. December imports totaled 13.8 million pounds compared to 13.3 in December 2018. Still, the 2019 annual total is 4.4 percent behind last year; reflective of a 5.6 million-pound shortfall.

Product from Canada accounts for roughly 87 percent of lobster entering the country, so it’s not a surprise that Imports from Canada also increased for the second-straight month. In December, 7.6 percent more product entered the U.S. from...

ANALYSIS: YTD Pangasius Volume has Fallen Every Month Since March

November imports of pangasius frozen fillets totaled 9.5 million pounds and is the lowest November on record since 2008 brought in 4.8 million pounds. Import volume fell 6.2 percent from the previous month and 49.8 percent from November 2018 when imports totaled 18.8 million pounds.

On a YTD basis, January through November volume falls 41.8 percent below the same 2018 timeframe, or by 77.5 million pounds. YTD volume has fallen month-over-month since March 2019.

When looking at the previous 3-year average for the month of November...

VIDEO: Chile Protests; Land-based Aquaculture to Grow; Oregon Rep. Calls Out Pebble Mine and More

Join SeafoodNews Weekly Video hosts Andraia Torsiello and Ryan Doyle as they discuss the impact protests in Chile are having on the salmon market; a recent report from Rabobank that predicts land-based farming becoming a game-changer for the seafood industry; Oregon Rep. Peter DeFazio ripping Pebble Mine and the latest on the octopus market. 

This week's episode was brought to you by Foreign Trade Data. Reduce uncertainty, minimize risk and uncover opportunities with the only website designed for the seafood import...

ANALYSIS: Shrimp Imports Climb Again in June

June imports were released today and the trend of monthly year-over-year growth remained intact. Shipments to the U.S. in June were 6.6 percent higher than June 2018. This has narrowed the total imports year-to-date to near parity with the first half of last year. Shipments currently lag last year by only 0.6 percent.

The top four countries, India (+16.1%), Indonesia (+5.6%), Ecuador (+31.3%), and Vietnam (+10.0%), along with Mexico (+135.4%) all showed gains and overpowered any lower imports by other trade partners...

ANALYSIS: Frozen Salmon Market Slips Amid Lack of Foodservice Demand  

Frozen Atlantic salmon fillets continue to hit all-time import highs. Overall, the category is seeing a 27.7 percent increase year-to-date. Specifically, Chile, who is the category leader, is up 32.6 percent YTD and this month’s imports for March were 30.8 percent higher than those seen in February 2020. These YTD imports are at an all-time high with information dating back to 2009.  

From a cyclical view, imports are trending well above the three-year average. However...

ANALYSIS: Rising Replacement Costs On The Squid Market

Frozen squid imported from China and Thailand have yet to see discounts emerge on U.S. wholesale prices amid the COVID-19 crisis. With most of the United States on lockdown since mid-March, the restaurant and foodservice industries, where squid is a staple item, have been majorly affected. Despite a drop in demand, importers are holding prices at listed levels, unlike other markets such as lobster tails, Dungeness crab, salmon and shrimp seeing week-over-week downward trends.

The key factor attributed to...

ANALYSIS: Farmed Salmon Complex Weakens; Index Down 5.3 Percent From Previous Week

Continued weakening and downward pricing pressure on the farmed salmon market was seen throughout this week, the first week post-Easter.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic has hit the U.S. market, the retail sector, which had an active demand for salmon, looks to have now succumbed to a similar slowness seen in the farmed salmon market as a whole. Retail features or buying opportunities for this week are reported to be lower than the previous week and more...

ANALYSIS: Crab Meat Industry Frozen in Place During COVID-19 Pandemic

As the crab meat industry navigates through the COVID-19 pandemic, the market is reacting much like many of the other frozen or shelf-stable seafood items, somewhat frozen in place.

The crab meat market is watching the situation at home. Foodservice sales have dwindled considerably, while retail and club store sales have increased. But with a majority of crab meat normally consumed outside of the home, market participants are also closely keeping an eye on overseas production. Crab meat producing countries, like...

ANALYSIS: A Look at the Farmed Salmon Market this Week and its Reaction to COVID-19

The farmed salmon market, especially on fresh whole fish, was hit hard by the closure of U.S. restaurants this week. While other protein items that are frozen can weather the storm for a period of time, fresh perishable items, like farmed salmon, do not have that option.

The farmed salmon index at the end of this week dropped 4 percent from the previous week and is down 6 percent from the end of February...

ANALYSIS: Supply Issues for Twice Frozen Haddock

Haddock is on the move, once again, in what seems to be a rollercoaster of events for the market. Frozen haddock fillets from China, originally hit with a 10% tariff beginning September 2018, increasing to 25% in May 2019, saw prices steadily climb to record highs until finally being granted an exclusion in December 2019, allowing prices to finally soften the following month.

Because of those tariffs, importers exercised conservative buying habits with the higher priced product, and now, months later, we are...

ANALYSIS: Snow Crab Supplies in the U.S. Remain Short; Awaiting Alaska Snow Crab to the Spot Market

Market quotations for Canadian snow crab were removed last week. Canadian snow crab supplies are nil and snow crab supplies from other origins, i.e. Alaska and Russia are also very short. Market participants report that they are still fielding calls from buyers looking for or inquiring about product.

Russian snow crab imports ended 2019 up 4.4 percent compared to 2018. It’s an unsettled undertone for Russian snow crab currently with both higher and...

ANALYSIS: January Tilapia Imports and the Impact of the Coronavirus and Tariffs

Tilapia frozen fillets, the largest seafood item by volume imported into the United States from China, has yet to see an impact at the wholesale level in the wake of supply chain disruptions caused by the coronavirus. With reports from key industry players that overseas plants are currently working at a 25-50% capacity and have started shipping out limited product this week on orders from before the Chinese New Year holiday, wholesale prices remain steady in the 10th week of 2020...

ANALYSIS: Salmon, Cod and Tilapia the All-Stars at Retail During Lent

With the beginning of Lent today, many Christians will start to follow church guidelines to abstain from meat and will look to seafood as an alternative.

Seafood is historically an extremely popular item during the Lenten season before Easter, and salmon is one of the highlights. Each year, the number of buying opportunities at retail rises for the week of Ash Wednesday. This year, even with headwinds from the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in certain regions of the world, is shaping up to be no different...

ANALYSIS: Tariff on Red Swimming Crab Meat Persists; Imports Down, Pricing Continues to Drop

Lower imports on red swimming crab meat has seen all of 2019 hovering below the 3-year average. Imports are at the lowest volumes seen in over 10 years and the situation is almost completely reactionary due to the continued 25% tariff that remains in place on red swimming crab meat from China.

With China’s season beginning in August, imports typically begin to rise in September through the end of the year. Taking a quick glance at the cyclical look above, imports have drastically trailed off...

ANALYSIS: December Shrimp Imports 1.4 Percent Lower, India Paces Shipments with 623 Million Pounds

December imports were released today and mirror last month, with a 1.4 percent decline in total volume. The year-over-year figure narrowed slightly as a result, and 2019 imports edged only 0.4 percent higher than 2018. India crossed over 600 million pounds to nearly 623 million pounds and shattered last year’s record shipments to the United States. Our number one trade partner accounted for over 40 percent of all shrimp imported in 2019. Indonesia, Ecuador, Vietnam, and...

ANALYSIS: Tilapia Market Leading into Lent

The market for tilapia frozen fillets is reportedly steady with a decent inventory and tempered demand as we near the Lenten season, beginning Wednesday, February 26, 2020. Currently, wholesale prices for a chem-free frozen fillet from China ranging 5-7 ounces is averaging $2.40. This is the highest price recorded since April 2015...

ANALYSIS: Second Month-Over-Month Surge for Chinese Catfish

Imports for Chinese catfish frozen fillets totaled 1.7 million pounds for the month of November, increasing 52.7 percent from October, which saw a 125.2 percent increase over the previous month.

Compared to November 2018, imports are 80.8 percent above last year's volume, however, on a YTD basis, 2019 still falls 20.4 percent below 2018 levels.

November 2019 import volume comes in 70.7 percent, or 723,011 pounds, above the previous 3-year average of just over 1 million pounds.

Domestic consumption within China of this...

ANALYSIS: Seafood Items Swimming Upstream in October

October, as many say in the industry, is called National Seafood month for a reason, demand is quiet. School is in session and the U.S.’s appetite for seafood tends to wane during the Fall.

There are several seafood items, however, that are swimming upstream this fall. Each species has its own story to tell, but the theme circles around a lack of supply coupled with what appears to be an insatiable demand.

King and Snow Crab

Both king and snow crab demand has been active over the past several weeks...