Exports from China’s key processing belt appear to have recovered somewhat after a slow start to the year. Liaoning's entire foreign trade totaled 849,000 metric tons (MT) in the first six months of the year, worth USD 2.02 billion (EUR 1.5 million), a 0.9 percent year on year decrease and an increase of 7.2 percent, respectively. Exports of aquatic products totaled 36.4 million MT, worth USD 1.31 billion (EUR 975 million), up 2.6 percent and 11.5 percent, respectively.
Data from the Provincial Oceanic and Fishery Bureau of Liaoning province shows imports amounted to 485,000 MT valued at USD 718 million (EUR 534 million), down 2.9 percent and up 4.8 percent, respectively. Aquatic products account for 51.4 percent of Liaoning’s agricultural exports with most shipments going through the port of Dalian, also a key processing hub.
While the latest data suggests a relatively weak trade, the figures are an improvement on the first two months of the year when exports totaled 113,100 MT worth USD 417 million (EUR 310 million), down 3.7 percent and up 2.8 percent respectively. Imports of 130,000 MT worth USD 177 million (EUR 132 million) in the first two months represented a decrease of 23.3 percent and 16.3 percent respectively.
One of the country’s fastest growing bases for tilapia aquaculture appears to have done well in exports in the first half of this year. Authorities at the main port in southern Guangxi province are reporting 94,000 MT of aquatic products valued at USD 500 million (EUR 372 million) were exported in the first six months, an increase of 8.45 percent and 15.43 percent respectively. The data, for Beihai port, was released by the local General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) which credits the opening of new markets, as well as a “change the structure of export products.”
The AQSIQ, which inspects quality of exports and imports at all Chinese ports but which also often advises Chinese exporters on quality, claims to have increased the number of officials working in its seafood department. “This is intended to raise the export qualifications of local seafood producers,” according to the AQSIQ, which also claims an increase in Beihai’s seafood export prices has been driven by rising raw material prices and increased labor costs.
Meanwhile, in the key shrimp production base of Zhanjiang in Guangdong province, exports of 44,000 MT were up 6.2 percent year on year, valued at RMB 2.15 billion (USD 348 million, EUR 259 million) — up 25.8 percent. Customs statistics show that in the first half of 2014 Zhanjiang City (home base of key shrimp exporter Zhanjiang Guolian) shipped 42,000 MT — an increase of 4.4 percent over the same period —accounted for 94.4 percent of seafood exports. Processing trade exports reached 2,479.4 MT, an increase of 49.3 percent, accounting for 5.6 percent. Municipal customs data from Zhanjiang shows exports to the U.S. of 19,000 MT, an increase of 15.6 percent, with exports to Australia at 4,400 MT, up 100 percent.
