China boosts imports of Russian fish products 26.5% in H1 2023 - Russian fisheries association

MOSCOW. Aug 22 (Interfax) - China boosted imports of Russian fish products 26.5% year-on-year to 616,300 tonnes in the first half of the year, the All-Russia Fisheries Association (VARPE) said in a statement, citing China's customs statistics.

The statement also emphasizes that Russian exports not only fully recovered in volume after the Chinese lockdown, but also exceeded the pre-pandemic 2019 result by 4.3%.

VARPE President German Zverev was quoted in the statement as saying that Russia exported $1.51 billion worth of fish products to China in the first half of this year, a surge of 35.8% compared to the same period in 2019, while the cost of supplies rose 25.7% compared to the same period in 2022.

The average price of minced pollock and surimi from pollock imported to China declined 25% year-on-year to $2,088.50 per tonne in the first half of 2023. The cost of a tonne of pollock fillets decreased 19% year-on-year to $2,577.65 in the first half of 2023, which was 9% less than in the same period of 2019.

VARPE called the situation with prices for crabs "complicated". The average price for frozen products plunged 45% year-on-year in the first half of this year, and 38% compared to the same period in 2019, to $12,650 per tonne. Prices for live crabs remain 29% higher than in 2019, though they are already 10% lower than in 2022. The price for a tonne of live crabs averaged $34,508 in the first half of this year, according to the statement.

VARPE explained that pollock products and crabs are the main export positions for supplies to China. The top five also includes products from herring, salmon, and cod. Other types of fish and fish products are also exported to China.