Japan's Herring Imports of 7900 MT in 2025 Record the Lowest in Recent Years

Imported frozen herring is broadly categorized into roe-bearing herring from the United States, Canada, and Russia, and foraging herring from the Russian Far East and Norway.

According to the Minato Shimbun report, imports in 2025 were 7,886 tons, a 4% decrease from the previous year and the lowest level in recent years. While imports reached 40,000 to 50,000 tons annually in the early 2000s, they have continued to decline due to weak domestic demand and shrinking overseas...

Japan's Salmon and Trout Imports Dropped 8%, but Increased 6.3% in Value in 2025

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, total salmon and trout imports in 2025 decreased by 0.2% compared to the previous year, while the total import value increased by 6.3% due to higher unit prices driven by the weaker yen. The rise in prices for the main species, coho salmon and sockeye salmon, was particularly noteable, according to the Minato Shimbun.

Coho Salmon

According to trade statistics from the Ministry of Finance, imports of frozen...

Norwegian Seafood Navigates Changing Tides in the French Market

In recent years, French consumers' shopping habits have shifted dramatically, posing both opportunities and challenges for Norwegian seafood exporters.

The backdrop of political unrest, rising prices, and strained household budgets has impacted the way French people consume fish and other seafood. “That is why we have commissioned a comprehensive report on the French seafood market,” notes Sigrid Louise Philippart, the Norwegian Seafood Council’s Country Director in France.

The report paints a detailed picture of the current trends and future priorities within the French market...

Japan's Frozen Cod Imports Plummets 80% in January-November Amid Sluggish Global Fishery

According to a Minato Shimbun report, imported frozen cod prices soared last year due to a global catch shortage, causing a sharp decline in imports. Trade statistics for January to November 2025 showed that the unit price was 860 yen/kg ($5.52/kg), up 38% from the same period last year, while the total volume was 838 tons, down 81%. In particular, the unit price of Russian fish rose 46% to 873 yen ($5.61/kg), while volume...

ANALYSIS: Downward Pressure Persists Across US Shrimp as VA–HLSO Spread Nears Resistance

US shrimp prices remain under downward pressure across major forms. HLSO and HOSO are weakest, while peeled shows continued but smaller declines. The price spread between peeled and headless shrimp has widened toward a historical resistance level, consistent with cross‑price elasticity signals that demand is shifting toward peeled due to perceived value, though the spread could stabilize or compress if conditions normalize.

The data imply a broader pattern: downward pressure across all categories...

Indonesia Orders Shrimp Firms to Halt Shipments Amid FDA's New Import Certification Rules

The Indonesian government has issued a formal notice instructing shrimp packers in affected areas to halt shipments to the United States, a move prompted by multiple US detections of cesium‑137 (Cs‑137) and coming as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s new import certification requirements and Import Alert 99-52 take effect.

Market sources confirmed the notice to Expana, with suppliers from the Island of Java and Province of Lampung, on the Island of Sumatra, impacted. Sources indicated that multiple suppliers in the affected...

FDA Finds 36% of Frozen Seafood Samples Short-Weighted; All Violations Detained at US Border

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) unveiled results from a sampling assignment focused on testing imported frozen seafood products for short weighting.

The FDA said short weighting can occur in frozen seafood products when the net weight includes the weight of the added water glaze or ice. The addition of water glaze or ice is a common practice to help protect from freezer burn during storage.

However, overstating the net weight of frozen seafood by including the weight of glazing (ice) is not permitted...

The Winding Glass: $1 Billion Tariff Hit to Shrimp Industry Will Lead to Downturn in 12 Months

The US has finalized, for now, tariff rates on the major shrimp-importing countries, and the industry is preparing for a period of significantly higher costs. 

In this column, we look back at other periods when shrimp prices rapidly rose 20% or more to predict what the longer-term impact will be on our industry and customers. 

Things don’t look good.  

We calculated tariff impacts by using full year 2024 values for the major types of shrimp imports, shell-on...

Soaring Frozen Cod Prices Force Japan to Cut Imports

According to a report by the Minato Shimbun, the price of frozen imported cod soared last year due to a global decline in catch, drastically reducing Japanese imports. Both US and Russian cod largely disappeared from the domestic market. The unit price for frozen 9/10 counts in 18/19 kg blocks (longline-caught and dressed) from Alaska was "around 1,530 yen/kg ($9.58/kg) if a domestic price were to be assigned," according to a trading company source.

The total annual import volume...

Frozen Imported Cod Losing the Japanese Market

According to a report by the Minato Shimbun, the price of frozen imported cod soared last year due to a global decline in catch, drastically reducing Japanese imports. Both US and Russian cod largely disappeared from the domestic market. The unit price for frozen 9/10 counts in 18/19 kg blocks (longline-caught and dressed) from Alaska was "around 1,530 yen/kg ($9.58/kg) if a domestic price were to be assigned," according to a trading company source.

The total annual import volume, including...

Winding Glass: Trump Policies of Tariff and Weak Dollar Damaged Seafood in 2025, Likely to Continue 

Tariffs and a weak dollar created artificial seafood supply shortages in the US in 2025. The result: higher prices for consumers, reduced consumption, and a reorientation of global trade flows away from America.

Supply is the ultimate driver of seafood pricing, as any boat captain landing in New Bedford, Gloucester or Maine will tell you. On days with more boats, prices are down.

The same dynamic holds at the stock level. When a population expands or contracts, it changes the...

US to Ban Irish Farmed Salmon and Spiny Lobster Imports from January 1 Over MMPA Compliance

Beginning January 1, 2026, farmed salmon and spiny lobster from Ireland will no longer be eligible for export to the United States, Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) and the Sea‑Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) confirmed this week.

The Irish agencies were notified by US authorities that the restriction is tied to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) comparability findings under the US Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). NOAA determined that Ireland’s standards do not meet the...

Japan: August Fishery Products Imports Down 5% to 147,875 MT, the Value Increased 4% to JPY 151.5B

According to trade statistics released by the Ministry of Finance on September 26, preliminary figures for August fishery product imports (including seafood and seafood preparations, fishmeal, and seaweed) showed a 5% year-on-year decrease to 147,875 tons, while the import value increased by 4% to 151.569 billion yen ($1.02 billion). Fresh and frozen tuna imports increased 4% to 16,643 tons, while salmon and trout imports increased 7% to 12,589 tons. However, shrimp imports were down 7%, crab imports were down...

Major Indonesian Shrimp Exporter PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati Placed on FDA Red List

PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati, the largest Indonesian shrimp supplier to the United States, will be subject to an automatic detention when its products enter the US.

On August 14, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published an import alert that said all products imported by PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati would be subject to detention without physical examination. The move puts the firm on the FDA’s “Red List.”

“This Import Alert covers specific firms and their food products that appear to have been prepared, packed, or held...

Japan’s Shrimp Imports Increased 4% to 80,000 Tons During January-May

Japan's shrimp imports (total of frozen and processed products, excluding lobsters) from January to May increased by 4% year-on-year, reaching 80,158 tons. According to trade statistics from the Ministry of Finance, processed shrimp saw an 11% increase to 25,517 tons, while frozen coldwater shrimp rose by 29% to 2,896 tons. Imports of frozen non-coldwater shrimp, including Vannamei and Black Tiger, remained flat at 51,746 tons. By country, imports from India and Ecuador, major producers of farmed Vannamei, increased...