Overview of seafood exports from the Russian Far East in the first eight months of 2009

By autumn 2009 the general situation with shipments of frozen seafood products from the Russian Far East has started improving, however in August 2009 the improvement was still limited with the import growth on last year noticed far from in all the directions and far from in all of the core export articles, according to the overview prepared by analysts of http://www.fishnet-russia.com/ (https://www.fishnet.ru/) based on Japanese and Russian sources.

More specifically, pollock imports rose to main destinations, shipments of crab products to Japan grew brisker, the Japanese imports also increased for some particular bottomfish species. At the same time, import of frozen pollock, the main export article for many producers, to China kept developing even more slowly than last year.

Salmon

In August 2009 the Chinese import of frozen salmon (less sockeye) of the Russian origin dramatically increased and the import volume reached 7500 tonnes, 7000 tonnes up on July 2009. As compared to August 2008, the import volume in August 2009 increased by 170%. The total shipments of Russian products to China from the beginning of the year grew by more than 90% to ca.11,500 tonnes. The average import price in August 2009 amounted to about 1.85 USD per kilo versus 1.50 USD per kilo in July 2009, and as compared to last year it grew nearly by 16%. However, the average indications through the first eight months of the year settled at 1.75 USD per kilo.

Import of frozen Pacific salmon (mostly chum salmon) to Japan also got dramatically brisker, but the traders imported only ca.550 tonnes, 34% down on August 2008. The total import volume in January-August 2009 decreased even more, practically by 70%, failing to reach even 600 tonnes. The average import price in August 2009 amounted to ca.210 Yen per kilo, 25% down on last year. The average indications through the period since the beginning of the year amounted to 230 Yen per kilo, 23% down on the corresponding result of last year.

The Japanese import of frozen sockeye of the Russian origin developed much more actively. In August 2009 the customs cleared ca.3550 tonnes of frozen sockeye, 63% up on July 2009, but 38% down on August 2008, which could be partly attributed to absence of shipments from marine (driftnet) fisheries. In general, through the first eight months of the year importation of Russian products decreased by 43% to less than 7400 tonnes. The average import price in August 2009 amounted to ca.530 Yen per kilo on a par with the last year indications and 2% up on July 2009. The average import price in January-August 2009 decreased by 5% on last year and amounted to ca.510 Yen per kilo.

Roe

Chinese import of frozen roe of the Russian origin in August 2009 rose by 42.5% on the previous month and amounted to ca.770 tonnes, which was more than 30 times up on the result of August 2008 when traders reported a pause in seasonal shipments of pollock roe and probably salmon roe. The total shipments since the beginning of the year exceeded 3000 tonnes, 74% up on the corresponding result of last year. The average import price in July 2009 rose nearly by 1% to 10.00 USD per kilo, while in August 2008 it was below 3.30 USD per kilo. However, the average indications through the period under analysis were limited to only 8.50 USD per kilo, more than 2.00 USD per kilo down on last year.

The import volume of frozen pollock roe of the Russian origin to South Korea in August 2009 grew by 26% on July 2009 to 560 tonnes, nearly 170% up on last year. In January-August 2009 the total import amounted to ca.4800 tonnes, nearly 90% up on last year. The average import price in August 2009 amounted to 6.3 USD per kilo, practically in keeping with July 2009, but 43% down on last year. The average price indications since the year start amounted to 7.00 USD per kilo, approximately 1.50 USD per kilo down on the respective result of last year.

Japanese import of Russian roe products (purely theoretically the shipments could be partly contributed by cod roe, but it was hardly likely) also amounted to ca.560 tonnes, approximately twice up on July 2009. As compared to last year, the August import grew by 34%, however, unlike shipments to China and South Korea, the total import volume since the beginning of the year was ca.18.5% down on last year, namely amounting to only ca.15,250 tonnes. The average import price in August 2009 amounted to 685 Yen per kilo, 12% down on July 2009. As compared to last year, it went down by 45% and the average indications for January-August 2009 decreased approximately by 32% to ca.870 Yen per kilo.

Import of salmon roe of the Russian origin to Japan was registered neither in salted form nor as frozen products. Japanese import of salted herring roe from the Russian Far East in August 2009 amounted to ca.85 tonnes, six times up on July 2009 and nearly 130% up on August 2009. Through the period since the beginning of the year the total import of salted herring roe jumped by 43% to 140 tonnes. The average import price in August 2009 decreased by 26% to 920 Yen per kilo, 7% down on August 2008. At the same time, the average import price for January-August 2009 rose by 5% to ca.875 Yen per kilo.

Pollock and other cod species

Chinese import of frozen products of the Russian origin again grew much more slowly with the total shipments through August 2009 amounting to ca.6700 tonnes, 45% down on July 2009 and nearly 40% down on August 2008. Through the summer months the shipments totaled only 25,500 tonnes, ca.25% down on last year. From the beginning of the year through August 2009 the official import figures were much smaller with the decrease on last year amounting to approximately 75% and the total volume of shipments making up less than 50,400 tonnes. The average import price rose on July 2009 by more than 11% to ca.2.45 USD per kilo, but in August 2008 it was somewhat higher at 2.50 USD per kilo. The average indications in the first eight months of the year grew by 19% to ca.2.5 USD per kilo.

Japanese import of Russian pollock in August 2009 was not registered and the volume of frozen cod import amounted to only 110 tonnes, nearly 30% down on last year. The total shipments since the beginning of the year amounted to 620 tonnes, more than 47% down on last year. The average import price both for August 2009 and for January-August 2009 amounted to ca.255 Yen per kilo, with the August price being 55% or 320 Yen per kilo below the last year result and the price for the whole period being nearly 50% down on the corresponding result of last year.

Bottomfish

In August 2009 import of white halibut to China was not registered by customs, and the volume of Chinese import of black halibut amounted to less than 190 tonnes. The average import price in August 2009 amounted to only 1.50 USD per kilo versus nearly 4.00 USD per kilo last year. Nevertheless, from January to August 2009 Chinese import of black halibut of the Russian origin grew by 24% to more than 1400 tonnes, while import of white halibut decreased by 54% to less than 280 tonnes. The average import price for January-August 2009 declined by 50% to 1.20 USD per kilo, a little more than 0.05 USD per kilo up on the corresponding result of last year. The average indications for the first eight months of the year were limited to only 1.10 USD per kilo, ca.12% down on last year.

Japanese import of frozen Russian halibut in August 2009 sank nearly by 55% to 200 tonnes. The total import volume since the beginning of the year got halved to 1800 tonnes as compared to last year. The average import price in August 2009 was more than 100 Yen per kilo down on August 2008 and amounted to less than 575 Yen per kilo. The average indications through the first eight months of the year amounted to 590 Yen per kilo, 9% down on last year. Japanese import of frozen Russian flounder in July and August 2009 was very slow and the shipments were limited to less than 50 tonnes. The total import through the period under analysis amounted to only ca.950 tonnes, 47.5% down on last year. The import prices in August 2009 decreased nearly by 15% to less than 220 Yen per kilo versus more than 300 Yen per kilo last year. The average indications for the first eight months of the year were limited to 230 Yen per kilo, 20% down on last year.

Japanese import of frozen ocean perch of the Russian origin in August 2009 grew brisker and its volume grew by 17% on July 2009 to ca.450 tonnes, at least four times up on August 2008. However, the total shipments in January-August 2009 amounted to only ca.1700 tonnes, 20% down on last year. The average import price in August 2009 grew nearly by 6% on July 2009 to 355 Yen per kilo, actually on a par with the average import price for January-August 2009. As compared to last year, the average import price for the period since the beginning of the year decreased by ca.3% on the corresponding result of last year.

Japanese import of Atka mackerel also grew brisker in August 2009 with the shipments totaling ca.600 tonnes, 140% up on July 2009 and nearly 125% up on August 2008. However, by the beginning of autumn 2009 the total volume of shipments was still much below the last year result as the total import volume since the beginning of the year amounted to less than 12,200 tonnes, ca.3500 tonnes down on last year. The average import price both in August 2009 and January-August 2009 amounted to ca.220 Yen per kilo, but while in August 2009 it was ca.14% below the last year result, the average indications for the first eight months of the year rose by 18% on 2008.

Herring

Japanese import of frozen Russian herring in August 2009 was limited to only 200 tonnes, more than three times down on July 2009 and nearly five times down on August 2008. The total shipments for January-August 2009 were limited to 4300 tonnes, 42% down on last year. The average import price in August 2009 declined to 120 Yen per kilo versus ca.145 Yen per kilo in July and more than 165 Yen per kilo in August 2008. The average indications for January-August 2009 were limited to 100 Yen per kilo, 25% down on last year.

Japanese import of frozen Russian herring fillets (mostly processed in China) in August 2009 grew to 400 tonnes, but last year in August it was developing much brisker and the total shipments amounted to nearly 700 tonnes. As a result, by the beginning of autumn the Japanese customs cleared ca.1000 tonnes of herring fillets less than last year with the total shipments limited to 3700 tonnes. The average import price in July and August 2009 was somewhat smaller than the last year result and amounted to 350-370 Yen per kilo, but the average indications in January-August 2009 amounted to ca.405 Yen per kilo, nearly 5% up on last year.

Shrimp

Japanese import of Russian products (mostly pink shrimp Pandalus borealis and humpback shrimp) in August 2009 more than halved on July 2009, but as compared to last year it declined only by 7% to 170 tonnes. The total shipments since the beginning of the year decreased by 12% to ca.5100 tonnes. The average import price in August 2009 declined to less than 1300 Yen per kilo and the average indications for the first eight months of the year amounted to ca.1200 Yen per kilo, approximately 2% up on last year.

Sea urchins

Japanese import of live sea urchins of the Russian origin grew much more slowly in August 2009 with the shipments amounting to ca.330 tonnes, 45% down on July 2009 and 6% down on August 2008. The total shipments for January-August 2009 amounted to less than 6800 tonnes, more than 10.5% down on last year. The price rise in August 2009 was also very serious with the average indications jumping by 29% on July 2009 and more than by 100 Yen per kilo on August 2008 to ca.830 Yen per kilo even despite strong position of Yen to USD. In the meantime, the average indications for January-August 2009 remained as low as 540 Yen per kilo versus ca.585 Yen per kilo last year.

Crabs

In August 2009 Chinese import of frozen crab of the Russian origin jumped by more than 90% on July 2009 and practically reached 600 tonnes, which was one of the highest results of the year (following the results of March and April when the total shipments amounted to ca.1500 tonnes). However, in August 2008 the crab import was approximately 10% larger and in general through the period under analysis the total Chinese import of Russian crabs amounted to 4600 tonnes, while in 2009 by the beginning of August the import volume was ca.700 tonnes below the last year result. The average CIF price in August 2009 dramatically fell on July 2009 and failed to reach even 1.90 USD per kilo, which was the lowest result after January 2009. Nevertheless, the average indications for January-August 2009 settled at 3.25 USD per kilo, more than 15% up on last year.

Import of frozen king crab to the USA in August 2009 was limited to 600 tonnes, more than 35% down on last year. However, thanks to comparably high activity of shipments in the previous months the total shipments since the beginning of the year grew by 7.5% on last year and nearly reached 10,500 tonnes. The average FAS or ex-vessel price for January-August 2009 amounted to 15.90 USD per kilo, only ca.4% down on last year. However, in August 2009 the price situation was much less favourable for the Russian producers, as the average import price amounted to only ca.13.65 USD per kilo versus more than 19.00 USD per kilo last year.

Apart from king crab, in August 2009 the USA imported ca.640 tonnes of frozen snow crab of the Russian origin, 10% down on August 2008, though the total import since the beginning of the year still remained somewhat higher than last year and amounted to ca.3100 tonnes. The average import price both for the first eight months of the year and for August 2009 amounted to ca.6.00 USD per kilo, but while in August 2009 it was 19% below the result of August 2008, the average price for the period under analysis rose nearly by 3% on last year.

In August 2009 Japanese import of frozen snow crab of the Russian origin totaled ca.1700 tonnes, nearly 500 tonnes up on August 2008. In the meantime, the total shipments since the beginning of the year declined by 13.5% to less than 8300 tonnes. The average import price in August 2009 decreased by 8% on July 2009 to 840 Yen per kilo (CIF terms), 28% down on last year. The average indications for the period from January to August 2009 amounted to ca.880 Yen per kilo, 21.5% down on last year. Japanese import of frozen king crab of the Russian origin in August was limited to only 550 tonnes, still being nearly 24% up on last year. However the total shipments since the beginning of the year decreased by 25% and failed to reach 3500 tonnes. The average import price for the first eight months of the year was limited to only 1380 Yen per kilo, 22.5% down on last year. The average price in August 2009 fell by 34% on last year to 1200 Yen per kilo (mostly due to strong Yen rate).

Japanese official import of live king crab in August 2009 more than doubled as compared to the previous month and amounted to ca.770 tonnes, 37% up on August 2008. The growth through the period since the beginning of the year amounted to nearly 17% with the total shipments amounting to ca.3900 tonnes. The average import price rose to more than 585 Yen per kilo, but as compared to last year it was 4% smaller and the average indications for January-August 2009 decreased by 18% without reaching 540 Yen per kilo. Import of live and fresh snow crab in August 2009 declined nearly twice on July 2009 and was limited to less than 2400 tonnes, but at the same time as compared to August 2008 it jumped also nearly twice. The shipments through the period under analysis amounted to 16,300 tonnes, less than 1% up on last year. The average import price in August 2009 amounted to ca.275 Yen per kilo, 100 Yen per kilo down on August 2008. The average price for the first eight months of the year decreased by 23% to 310 Yen per kilo. Import of live hairy crab in August 2009 sank by 45% on August 2008 to 230 tonnes. The average import price in August 2009 decreased to less than 580 Yen per kilo, still up from 540 Yen per kilo last year. The average indications for the period under analysis grew by 12% to 640 Yen per kilo in keeping with strengthening exchange rate of Yen to USD.