Russia stepping up as China's leading seafood supplier in January-August 2010

According to the Chinese Customs, in January-August 2010 Russia's seafood exports to China amounted to 904 million USD thus accounting for 35.5% of the total value of fish products imported by the country in the period under analysis (2.619 billion USD), reports http://www.megafishnet.com/ (https://www.fishnet.ru/).

In value terms Russia has left behind the USA (361 million USD), Canada (136 million USD) and EU (142 million USD).

Russian import of the Chinese seafood products in the period of the first eight months of the year was 10 times lower at 91 million USD, which ranked Russia the eighth in the list of countries consuming aquatic products made in China.

EU states have become top market for the Chinese fish with the nation's export value amounting to 1.13 billion USD or 21.73%, the second and third place correspondingly taken by the USA (963 million USD or 18.48%) and Japan (935 million USD or 17.94%). They are followed by Korea (675 million USD), Taiwan (212 million USD), Malaysia (140 million USD) and Canada (132 million USD).

Chinese total exports of seafood products in the first eight months of the year 2010 amounted to 5.212 billion USD, two times up on the nation's import volumes.

Commenting on the above figures, President of Russian Far East Fishermen's Association Dmitry Dremluga said that the volumes of shipments of Russian products to China in January-August 2010 exceeded the total volume of shipments from main fishing countries in the North Pacific, namely the USA, Canada, Japan, Korea, as well as shipments from the EU states.

At the same time, Dmitry Dremluga underlined that China imported mostly raw fish with low value added and exported mostly value-added products and in the longterm outlook Russian exporters should also focus on seafood products with added value.