Irish lobster exports to the European Union performed well in 2021, belying fears the cessation of tariffs on U.S. lobster would have a negative impact.
Live lobster exports from Ireland to the E.U. increased by 33 percent in value terms to reach more than EUR 7 million (USD 7.9 million) between January to November 2021. Exported volumes increased by 23 percent during the same period, according to data provided to SeafoodSource by Bord Bia, the Irish state’s food promotion agency. The bulk of Irish lobsters are sold to the French catering market.
“With value running ahead of volume, we can clearly see the strength of demand for Irish lobster in our core E.U. markets,” Bord Bia said. “Prepared lobster exports also performed very well increasing by 50 percent in value against an 8 percent decline in volumes. Overall, the market for Irish lobster was strong in the second half of 2021 with demand running ahead of supply.”
In November 2020, the E.U. granted tariff-free access to its market for American lobster. Chris MacManus, a member of the E.U. parliament representing Ireland, who voted against ratification of the E.U.-U.S. deal, told SeafoodSource in 2021 he thought tariff-free imports of U.S. lobster could potentially depress Irish lobster prices. He said he voted against the deal “because I am concerned that the elimination of tariffs would lead to low-priced American lobster flooding the EU market.”
U.S. exports may well have headed instead to China, which upped its purchases of American lobster partly to meet commitments under the “Phase One” trade agreement, signed by the U.S. and China in January 2020. China bought 6,000 metric tons (MT) of American lobsters in the first 11 months of 2021, up 6 percent year-on-year, but while China was on target to meet 83 percent of its 2021 commitments for purchases of U.S. agricultural goods as of October last year, it had only fulfilled 51 percent of its commitment on purchases of lobster as of October 2021, according to the Peterson Institute for International Economics.
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