In 2012, Japan spent USD 1.1 billion (EUR 803.3 million) to import around 195,000 metric tons (MT), but last year, the United States was Chile’s main market in terms of value, buying USD 1.144 billion (EUR 835.3 million). Japan ranked second in value with USD 840 million (EUR 613.3 million), followed by Latin America, with USD 657 million (EUR 479.7 million). In volume terms, Japan still led, importing 147,315 MT. The United States and Latin America imported 124,434 and 101,241 MT, respectively.
Chile has been giving more emphasis to the U.S. and Latin America markets (especially Brazil, Argentina and Mexico) and to developing the Chinese market to offset declines in Japan.
The weak yen helped to push down Japan’s purchases. While the yen was in the 80-85 yen-to-dollar range for much of 2012, under Prime Minister Abe’s devaluation policy, it sank to the 95-100 for most of 2013 and is now at 103, diminishing Japanese consumers’ purchasing power.
Meanwhile, Chilean suppliers are trying to pass along higher costs associated with lower stocking ratios and earlier harvests necessary to reduce the risk of mortality losses from disease, pollution and parasites. Wholesale prices in Japan for silver (coho) salmon have risen from around 450 yen per kilogram (kg) in February 2013 to JPY 750 (USD 7.24, EUR 5.28) to JPY 780 (USD 7.53, EUR 5.49). Rainbow trout has followed the same trend, but is now running about JPY 910 (USD 8.78, EUR 6.41). The spread between the two has gradually increased in the last two years.
Both silvers and rainbow trout are unaffected by infectious salmon anemia and have been well received by Japanese consumers and consumption of each is now greater than that of Atlantics and sockeye combined.
But challenges have been made to the labeling of trout as “salmon.” The Japanese name for rainbow trout is “niji-masu.” This is usually applied to freshwater trout, while Chilean ocean-farmed fish of the same species (Oncorhynchus mykiss) is marketed as “salmon-trout.” Because of the “salmon” in the name, it is also included in restaurant and lunch-box meals as such.
Due to a number of seafood mislabeling incidents in Japan, especially one dealing with shrimp and lobster at the upscale hotel of the Hankyu Hotel chain, a new Consumer Affairs Agency guideline was issued, which advised against selling rainbow trout in “salmon” meals.
Japanese consumers may be confused by this advice as most consider the quality of salmon-trout to be on a par with other salmonid species, and because they make a taste distinction between ocean-farmed salmon-trout and freshwater niji-masu.
Regarding sockeye, last year’s good Russian wild harvest led to imports in the first six months of 2013 up 60 percent over the same period in 2012. Japanese buyers are expected to source sockeye from Russia again, while Alaska’s harvest will likely be smaller than last year and will go to meet domestic demand where it can fetch a higher price than in Japan.
Consumers here expect an easily recognizable JPY 100 (USD 0.97, EUR 0.70) per-slice price point for grilling salmon slices at the supermarket. Salted frozen domestic (Hokkaido) sockeye sold at Tokyo’s Tsukiji market in mid-February at JPY 950 (USD 9.17, EUR 6.69) per kg.
Producing countries other than Chile and Russia are not prominent in Japan right now and are mostly niche players, such as for high-end promotions or in the form of lox, which is a popular appetizer competing with the also-popular prosciutto. Hakodate, Hokkaido based company Kawashima has even put a mixed pack of both lox and prosciutto on the market under the name “Ham Red.” However, for this brand the sockeye is Russian.
