Chilean seafood export volumes were down in the first quarter of 2014, but seafood production volumes and the overall value of exports were up, according to Chilean government figures.
Chilean accumulated seafood volumes between January and April of 2014 was 1.3 million metric tons (MT), an increase of 18.6 percent compared to the same period last year. However Chilean seafood exports reached 324,000 MT, decreasing by 11.7 percent in volume compared to the same period of 2013; but the value of the exports increased by 23.8 percent, reaching a value of USD 1.6 million (EUR1.2 millions).
These data come from the Chilean Undersecretary for Fisheries and Aquaculture in its last sectorial report on Fisheries and Aquaculture. According to the report, the decrease in export volume is fundamentally associated "with the frozen line and reduction (oil and fish meal)."
On the other hand, according to the report “the fresh chilled fish was the line with major increase in volume." The line of frozen represented 54 percent of the total volume followed by fishmeal, fresh chilled fish and dried seaweed. Regarding the value, the most important increases were given by the lines of frozen fish (49.3 percent) and fresh chilled fish (35.3 percent), though they were not sufficient to compensate the falls in prices of the lines of reduction and canned. The Atlantic salmon carried the highest value, reaching USD 739 million (EUR 543.8 million) and representing 46.3 percent of the total value of the fishing and aquaculture exports, followed by Pacific salmon (44.1 percent) and by the rainbow trout.
Regarding the main exporting countries, the United States stands out as the main commercial partner, representing 26.8 percent of the total value exports, which represents an increase of 55 percent compared to the same date of last year. It was followed by Japan, representing 23.8 percent, and Brazil, China and Russia. The exports of aquaculture represented 82.3 percent and 59.7 percent of the total value and volume exports.
