China’s growing demand for salmon has been happening across the last decade – even after a clash with Norway that resulted in the Scandinavian country’s produce banned from Chinese export.
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According to the organisers of World Seafood Shanghai (SIFSE) 2017, which takes place 19-21 August at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre, salmon exports to China have increased dramatically.
In 2009, five tonnes of Scottish salmon found their way to the Chinese market, a figure that had risen to 9709 tonnes only four years later, and a similar picture is seen in Chile where exports to China have jumped to 31,000 tonnes between January and July last year.
As relations between Norway and China have gradually returned to normal after a long diplomatic stand-off, Norwegian exports to China are again growing rapidly.
Prior to the dispute, Norway had accounted for 90% of supply to China’s salmon market.
This year the Norwegian Seafood Council has assigned $1.15 million for marketing throughout China this year – around 10 times its usual China-focussed marketing budget.
Annual import values come to around 80,000 tons annually. Much of this total is Atlantic salmon, while other varieties, such as pink, chum, masu, chinook and coho, make up the remainder.
The value of imports of salmon to China are put at around $300 million, fed mainly by supplies from Scottish and Chilean producers, as well as fro Norway, Canada and the US and with a significant potential from Russian producers.
Russia could become a new seafood partner for China, as a new free-trade deal for Russian companies has been put in place in China’s Harbin city.
Over 500,000 tons of pink fish, including salmon, is caught by Russian companies annually.
Harbin’s trade agreement lowers import tariffs on Russian seafood, opening the gates for Russian salmon going forward.
80% of all salmon eaten in China is consumed at hotels, restaurants and other commercial dining establishments. Salmon is still seen as a premium product in China, meaning its hotel chains and foodservice companies are the big suppliers.
A key reason is believed to be because most salmon supplied to China is sourced from countries with strong labelling and food safety standards.
Labelling and import documents revealing high hygiene standards and country of origins are marks of quality on the Chinese import market and a major draw for HORECA sector members. ■