STAG NEWS BITES is produced for Australian Seafood Exporters, containing important updates and informal translations of news from Asian media sources. Any information provided as part of this trade news service is general in nature. Before acting on any information provided, you should consider its appropriateness to your circumstances and business objectives.
M A R K E T N E W S
Chinese Media
Below are four articles translated from Chinese media that focus on consumption trends in relation to seafood imports and exports.
Note: If foreign articles are opened in Chrome, they can be automatically translated
Lobster cooking recipe sharing and promotion
A chief partnership has released a series of creative cooking lobster recipes to encourage more customers to cook lobster at home. Recipes include:
Sour plum and Lobster tea with rice
Live lobster, combined with French tartare (to highlight the fresh taste)
Cooked lobster with popular Shanghai noodles and spring onion oil (with a method to utilise all parts of lobster)
China's consumption market continued to maintain recovery growth
According to the Ministry of Commerce, the first quarter’s performance in international trade was good, and that China's consumption market continued to maintain recovery growth. Also, it was reported that the business activity index of the service industry increased significantly compared with the previous month.
During Qingming Holiday, the retail and catering sector performed well. Average daily sales of catering companies surveyed by UnionPay Business increased by 59.9% year-on-year.
According to official data, January and February’s import and export performance increased by 32.2% (export 50.1%, import 14.5%). During a recent investigation with international trade companies, almost half of the companies agreed that the relevant policy supported trade facilitation. Read more about the Chinese consumption market recovery growth here
Beijing's catering consumption boomed during the Qingming holiday, with many catering companies now preparing for Labour Day
Traditional famous restaurants’ sales increased 100% compared with the last Qingming holiday. Hot and spicy crayfish consumption increased to over 3,250 kg/day in the most famous crayfish specialty store. Read more about the Chinese consumption boom here
Popular imported fish in the Chinese domestic market
This article provides a list of the most popular imported fish in the Chinese market. It states that Australia is an important exporter and is the main supplier of three to four kinds of fish, with New Zealand being its main competitor. It also states that under new commercial contracts and with increasing consumer demands for Basa, the Southeast Asian suppliers will play a large role. The article also describes that the relationship between Norway and China is recovering, with importers restarting trade with Norway, especially for species such as salmon. Read about the most popular imported fish for China here.
O T H E R M A R K E T N E W S
Hong Kong citizens flock to support AbouThai retail chain raided by customers officers over mislabelled goods
Source: South China Morning Post, 11 April 2021
Hundreds of shoppers have flocked to support a pro-democracy Hong Kong retail chain for a third straight day, after authorities seized HK$400,000 (US$51,400) worth of mislabelled goods from the business.
One citizen said, “It’s the Hong Kong spirit. This is an international city, so I can buy all types of products such as Australian wine, lobster and steak. There is no need to stick with Chinese products.” Read more here
Image: ULifestyle
Hong Kong businesses bloom over Easter as local holiday spending almost reaches pre-covid levels
Source: South China Morning Post, 6 April 2021
Hotels, restaurants and theme parks in Hong Kong recorded a sharp rebound in business during the five-day Easter break, while the catering sector sought to improve its fortunes further by motivating staff to be vaccinated against covid-19.
Hotels offering staycations with swimming pools, restaurants and child facilities, were about 90 percent full during the long weekend, compared with about 40 to 50 percent occupancy on normal days. Read more here
Image: Unsplash
Swelling demand intensifying challenges facing China's seafood processors
Source: Seafood Source, 13th April 2021
Chinese processing factories are suffering “a lot” from rising costs related to heightened inspections and delays on seafood being shipped into China, according to a supplier of processing equipment to the industry.
Wang Yunfeng, the CEO and founder of Shanghai AUS Food Technology Co, which imports fish processing machines from Europe to China, said those costs are exacerbating troubles already faced by the industry, which is in the midst of a seismic shift from production for export to feeding domestic demand for seafood.
Image: Yuangeng Zhang/Shutterstock
When will Japan's economy return to pre-pandemic levels?
Source: The Japan Times, 2nd April 2021
Most economists say a full economic recovery for Japan is unlikely until well after the vaccination of the general public is underway.
Most economists don’t foresee the economy surpassing pre-pandemic levels until mid-2022. The economy is expected to show clearer signs of a gradual recovery once the vaccination of people aged 65 and older is complete.
The return of Japan’s economy to pre-pandemic levels will be about a year behind the USA, as the vaccine rollout in Japan — one of the slowest among developed countries. Read more here
Image: AFP-JIJI
Japan to dump contaminated water into sea
Source: The Guardian, 13th April 2021
Japan has announced it will release more than 1m tonnes of contaminated water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea, a decision that has angered neighbouring countries, including China, and local fishers. Read more about the planned contaminated water dumping here
Image: Philip Fong/AFP/Getty Images
How sea cucumbers became gold for organised crime
Source: The Guardian, 12th April 2021
Over the years, Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar in Sri Lanka have witnessed extreme overfishing of sea cucumbers. For the most expensive species, global populations have fallen by more than 60%.
Now Sri Lanka is a growing hotspot for illegal smuggling and poaching. Read about the Sri Lankan sea cucumber poaching issue here
Image: Lakshadweep Forest Department
One year into pandemic, seafood has become a “habit-driver”
Over 700 eateries fail in FY 2020 in Japan
Source: The Mainichi, 11th April 2021
The number of bankruptcies in Japan's eatery industry totaled 715 last fiscal year, the third largest in 20 years, in the wake of requests for shorter opening hours to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.
The dour result for the year ended March 31 reflects 183 failures in the bar and beer hall sector, the highest since fiscal 2000 when comparative data became available. To read more about the Japanese firms that went bankrupt click here
Image: Unsplash
New York appeals court forces US restaurants to close early again
Source: Under Current News, 10th April 2021
A New York appellate court has at least temporarily reinstated an 11 p.m. COVID-related curfew for some 90 restaurants and bars in the western part of the US state. Read more about this US curfew here
Image: Unsplash
Source: Seafood Source, 13th April 2021
The unprecedented disruption of seafood sales caused by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic a year ago is catching up to year-on-year sales figures.
While fresh seafood sales soared in March thanks to the early Easter holiday, frozen and shelf-stable sales dropped, compared to the huge pandemic stock-up buying spike of 2020. Read more about fresh and frozen seafood sales here
Image: Unsplash
STAG News Bites is a resource for Australian seafood exporters, currently funded by the Abalone Council Australia Ltd, Southern Rocklobster Ltd, Australian Abalone Growers Association, Western Rocklobster Council and the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation. We acknowledge past funding from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, through the Package Assisting Small Exporters.
This STAG publication contains informal translation of foreign and Asian media. Any information provided as part of this trade news service is general in nature. Before acting on any information provided, you should consider its appropriateness to your circumstances and business objectives.
Copyright © 2021, Seafood Trade Advisory Group. All rights reserved.
