Pakistan has gained approval to export seafood to Russia after 16 Pakistani processing plants have been cleared for export, The Express Tribune reported.
Pakistan Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry announced the development on 17 April, describing it as a major step forward for Pakistan’s fisheries sector following sustained diplomatic engagement and technical compliance efforts.
The approval allows Pakistan to begin shipping seafood to Russia for the first time, opening the door to a market where seafood imports are estimated at about USD 3 billion (EUR 2.54 billion) annually. The move is expected to help diversify Pakistan’s export destinations beyond established markets such as China, Gulf countries, Southeast Asia, Europe, and the U.S.
Pakistan’s seafood exports currently total around USD 500 million (EUR 424.7 million) per year, but the South Asian nation expects shipments to increase significantly after gaining entry into the Russian market. It is projected that export earnings could reach USD 800 million (EUR 679.6 million) in the coming years, with Russia alone potentially generating around USD 300 million (EUR 254.8 million) in initial sales.
Access to the Russian market could facilitate trade with other members of the Eurasian Economic Union, too, including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, where demand for seafood has been rising alongside urbanisation and shifting dietary patterns toward higher protein consumption, the Express Tribune said.
Pakistan’s seafood export sector generated USD 253.2 (EUR 215 million) million in earnings in the first half of its 2025-26 fiscal year ending December 2025, which was up 21.6 percent year over year, according to Pakistan’s Press Information Department on 16 January 2026.
Export volumes and values differed across product segments, with frozen fish emerging as the top contributor, totaling 26,669 metric tons (MT) worth USD 53.33 million (EUR 45.3 million).
Other key products included shrimps and prawns, which brought in USD 40.46 million (EUR 34.4 million), and frozen cuttlefish valued at USD 36.13 million (EUR 30.7 million). Additional items such as shrimp meal, crabs, sardines, and fishmeal also contributed to overall export receipts, reflecting a broad product base within the industry.
China remained the dominant destination for Pakistani seafood, importing more than 83,602 MT valued at about USD 149.2 million (EUR 126.7 million) during the period, accounting for nearly 59 percent of total export value. Thailand ranked second, purchasing seafood worth USD 31.3 million (EUR 26.6 million), largely consisting of shrimp and prawn products. Other significant markets included the UAE, Malaysia, and Japan.
