March 24, 2008

Alaska enjoys good growth of seafood exports to China and Europe
 

Alaska's seafood harvest value may have dropped by 1.9 percent to US$1.98 billion in 2007, but exports to China and Europe have increased significantly.

Seafood is Alaska's largest export in value, according to US Census Bureau statistics.

Despite the 1.9 percent drop in value, Alaska's seafood exports to China had grown by 27 percent, earning in US$411 million in 2007.

China imports Alaska seafood for processing before it re-exports the processed seafood to other countries, including the US, said state officials.

Alaska seafood exports to Europe are also on the increase. European markets accounted for less than 6 percent of Alaska's seafood exports value in 1998, but it has since ballooned to 25 percent of seafood export value.