Top Fish Exporters & Importers
Spanish Fishing Boats Fade as Powers in Global Seafood Trade
Developing countries like China, Thailand and Chile lead the list of fishery product exporters while richer nations like Japan, America and Spain import the most seafood.
World exports of fish and fish products hit a record US$71.5 billion in 2004, up 51% in just 10 years. Over that same period, fish imports rose 25.4% to $75 billion.
In 2004, developing countries including China, Thailand and Vietnam accounted for about 77% of fish consumed globally, 57% of world fishery exports by quantity and 48% of world fishery exports by value.
The total value of fishery exports for developing countries minus their imports amounted to $20.4 billion in 2004, up 27.5% from $16 billion in 1994.
Fishery exports from the European Union were $17.1 billion in 2004, 51% higher than in 2000. However, over 80% of these exports were shipped to other EU nations. Also, the appreciation of European currencies against the U.S. dollar also partially explain the rise in EU fish exports.
Leading Fish Exporting Nations
Led by the People’s Republic, the following nations generate about 50% of seafood shipments worldwide.
- China … US$6.6 billion (9.2% of total exports)
- Norway … $4.1 billion (5.7%)
- Thailand … $4 billion (5.6%)
- United States … $3.9 billion (5.5%)
- Denmark … $3.6 billion (5%)
- Canada … $3.5 billion (4.9%)
- Spain … $2.6 billion (3.6%)
- Chile … $2.5 billion (3.5%)
- Netherlands … $2.5 billion (3.5%)
- Vietnam … $2.4 billion (3.4%).
Rich developed nations were responsible for some 80% of $75 billion spent on fish-based imports globally in 2004.
Leading Fish Importing Nations
That same year, the countries below imported the most fish and fish products.
- Japan … $14.6 billion (19.5% of total imports)
- United States … $12 billion (16%)
- Spain … $5.2 billion (6.9%)
- France …$4.2 billion (5.6%)
- Italy … $3.9 billion (5.2%)
- United Kingdom … $2.8 billion (3.7%)
- Germany … $2.8 billion (3.7%).
Generally, consumption per capita of fish is higher in more developed countries. For example, the original 15 European Union countries have increased their fish supply imports by 44% to $28.3 billion in 2004 in just 4 years. Some 56% of these imports were shipped from source nations outside the EU.
Spanish Fish Market
Spain is a leading seafood importer and exporter. Principal suppliers to the Spanish fish market are France, Morocco, Argentina, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Namibia. Spanish love to dine on fish; per capita consumption in Spain was about 45 kilograms in 2003 – almost 3 times higher than the worldwide average of 16.5 kilograms per capita. Another reason for Spain’s increasing dependence on fish imports is the fact that the Spanish fleet has reduced its catches by 50% from 1.2 million tonnes in 1995 to 0.8 mt in 2004.
References
This article presents independent calculations and insights based on key statistics from the May 2006 Fact Sheet on the International Fish Trade and world fisheries from the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (fao.org).
