China’s seafood imports rebounded 12% to $14.15 billion in 2021 as domestic consumer confidence in imported products showed signs of recovery, according to customs data for the year.
After a 20% contraction in 2020 – China’s first contraction in more than a decade – China’s seafood imports rebounded in 2021, however, imports are still below the records recorded in 2019 when consumer demand peaked. “It will take time for the market to recover. I think these sales are already a very good result,” the source said. Meanwhile, China’s seafood exports rose 15% year-on-year to $21 billion, the second-highest level on record.
Last year, China’s largest seafood supplier was Ecuador, after imports from Ecuador rose 27% year-on-year to $2.19 billion. Chinese imports of Ecuadorian shrimp – up 19% to 379,000 metric tons, increased Ecuador’s total imports by $466 million compared to 2020.
Imports from Russia, China’s second-largest supplier, traditionally China’s largest supplier of raw crab, pollock, wild salmon and other whitefish, rose 1% year-on-year to $1.86 billion, amid the COVID-19 ban. Imports grew slowly after ships for gutted (H&G) pollock stopped at Dalian and Qingdao, pushing Russia into second place for the first time in more than 20 years.
Chinese imports from Canada rose 29% year-on-year to $1.08 billion, mainly including lobster, Arctic jellyfish and Dungeness crab. Imports from the U.S. also rose 25% year-over-year to $977 million due to exceptions to tariffs imposed by China on some U.S. seafood, such as live Boston lobster.
Meanwhile, imports from India and Norway rose 15% year-on-year to $967 million and 44% year-on-year to $726 million, respectively. Among China’s largest suppliers, only imports from Vietnam fell sharply, down 33% year-on-year to $722 million.
