Japan Customs data for the first 10 days of August showed overall exports down by 23.3 percent and imports down by 40.4 percent year-on-year, resulting in a positive balance of trade amid a general reduction in international trade.
China was a bright spot in trade for Japan, with an 8.2 percent rise in exports and a 9.8 percent decline in imports. This kept the combined figures for imports and exports in Asia to declines of just 8.2 and 13.5 percent, respectively. The figures for July showed that Japan’s biggest percent decline in exports to an Asian country was to Indonesia, with a 60.1 percent decline in value. For imports, Hong Kong dropped the most, at 31.4 percent. Exports to the U.S.A. were down by 19.5 percent, and imports were off 25.4 percent. Exports from and imports to the European Union declined by 30.5 and 14.3 percent, respectively.
For fish and fish preparations, Japan imported 147,654 metric tons (MT), a decline in volume of 13.3 percent from July 2019. The import value was off by 22.6 percent.
Fish and fish preparations imports from the U.S.A. increased by 4.5 percent by volume, but declined 7.1 percent by value.
In trade with the E.U., likewise, import value dropped more than volumes, which reflects either a shift to cheaper species as people eat at home or the generally depressed prices for seafood in Japan. Imports of fish and fish preparations fell 33 percent by volume and 59.4 percent by value. For China, the figures fell by a more moderate 15.3 percent and 19.5 percent, respectively. Russia sold only 2.9 percent less fish by weight, but the value was off by a significant 37.4 percent.
A new threat to the seafood trade are studies with initial results showing COVID-19 can persist for a long time on frozen foods and their plastic packaging. In China, a sample taken from the surface of frozen chicken wings imported from Brazil, as well as samples of outer packaging of frozen Ecuadorian shrimp, showed the presence of the virus. In response, the Cold Chain Association of China’s southern coastal city of Guangzhou ordered all member companies to suspend imports of frozen meat and seafood from coronavirus-hit areas. However, the national government has not yet restricted such imports.
Frozen foods were also investigated as a possible cause of the resurgence of the disease in New Zealand after it was thought to have been eliminated there. However, this pathway has since been ruled out. It appears then that while such transmission is possible in theory, the likelihood is extremely low.
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