Russia slightly increased imports of Chilean trout in 2011

In 2011 Russian importers purchased more Chilean trout, though the rise was not very big with the total import volume limited to only 12,301 MT (versus 11,414 MT in 2010), reports http://www.megafishnet.com/.

The Russian market has raised its share in Chilean trout exports from 16% to 16.5%. However, some market specialists think that Chilean exporters will be facing more and more problems in winning the market share in Russia (which is regarded as one of the most promising markets for Chilean salmon) as the Norwegian exporters activated their sales onto the market.

More specifically, in 2011 Norwegian exports to Russia amounted to 98,500 MT, 30% up on last year. Dramatic decline of prices for Norwegian shipments also seriously impeded development of Chilean trout sales to the Russian market (in 2011 average FOB price of chilled Norwegian salmon head-on gutted destined for Russia descended by 20% to less than NOK 30.00 per kilo, while in the second half of the year prices were even lower at NOK 23.00-25.00 per kilo).

Against such background Chilean producers will hardly be able to compete with such a rival on equal terms and therefore prefer to concentrate on trout sales to Japan and neighboring countries of the South America.