December 17, 2010

Peruvian seafood exports grow by 17%

Non-traditional Peruvian fish exports generated US$509 million in revenue between January and October 2010, representing an increase of 16.9% over the same period last year, according to the Central Reserve Bank (BCR).

Although export volumes were less than the first ten months of 2009, there was a rise in value because of better prices.

The main destinations were the US (18% of the total), Spain (18%), China (13%), and France (11%).

During October this year, a total of US$49 million worth of fishery products were sent abroad, representing an increase of 31.1% over the same month of 2009. Prices increased by about 44.7%, offsetting the decline in export volumes at 9.4%.

The largest price increases over 2009 were recorded for frozen squid (102%), canned squid (148.7%), scallops (53.3%), and shrimp tails (45.1%).

However, the volume of exports was more than the average of products sent abroad during the third quarter by 15%, mainly because of more shipments of scallops to France, shrimp tails to the US, and preserved anchovies to Spain and the Dominican Republic.

Between January and October this year, the average price of fish exports rose by 33.9%, while the volume of shipments declined by 11.6%.