May 4, 2017

China's salmon appetite on dramatic rise

China's demand for salmon has grown tremendously over the past decade, its annual imports now totalling US$300 million.

According to an industry news release posted on the website of the World Seafood Shanghai exhibition (which will be held on Aug. 19-21), the dramatic rise in Chinese consumers' growing appetite for salmon is best illustrated when Scotland's salmon exports to China increased 194,080% from a measly 5 tonnes in 2009 to 9,709 tonnes in 2013, or in just four years.

Salmon farmers in the Los Lagos region of Chile, China's biggest supplier of Atlantic salmon, has also seen a 73.9% rise in their exports to China. 

Between January and July 2016 Chile experienced a 72% year-on-year rise in salmon exports to China. These exports came to a total of 31,000 tonnes.

Norway, the biggest exporter of salmon to China prior to 2010, has had its export volumes nosedive after a half-decade-long diplomatic tussle. The tail end of 2016 saw a re-normalisation of relations between the two states, and Chinese ports reopened to Norwegian salmon. Before their dispute, Norway accounted for 90% of all salmon on the Chinese seafood market.

With relations between Norway and China back to normal, export levels are expected to increase exponentially this year and beyond. The Norwegian Seafood Council has assigned $1.15 million for marketing throughout China this year-around 10 times its usual China-focused marketing budget, the news release said.

Besides Chile, Scotland and Norway, China's stocks of salmon come from Canada and the US. Chile is now the largest individual supplier in value terms, shipping produce worth $96.5 million in 2016.