Australian lobster shipments to China and latest seafood market news
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. Australian Lobster Export UpdateAustralia’s rock lobster fishers and exporters are working hard to restore trade with The industry’s sole focus is to resume normal trade. That is why as an industry we are Members of the Seafood Trade Advisory Group are in regular discussions with our We appreciate the right of countries to implement border inspection processes that Demand for Australian wild-caught rock lobster is still evident in China and our The risk of this trade disruption continuing is hundreds of family-owned businesses in Further updates will be provided as details become known. To register for these updates MAA China: Significant delays for consignments of rock lobsterSource: Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment To read the official market access advice from the Department about the current situation in China with delayed rock lobster consignments please click here Expressions of Interest in the Australia – UK FTAValued at US$4.4 billion, the UK is the sixth largest global importer of seafood behind the EU US$59.3 billion, USA US$22.6 billion, Japan US$15.3 billion, China US$14.5 billion and South Korea US$5.9 billion. UK seafood trade is characterised by high import tariffs typically ranging between 12 – 26% and, of the major global markets, is considered by industry as heavily regulated and an expensive market to access. Australia and the UK launched negotiations for a FTA on 17 June 2020. The negotiation offers a - once only - opportunity to negotiate a reduction in tariff and non-tariff barriers affecting Australian seafood exports to the UK. In preparation for the negotiations, the Australian Government has invited formal submissions from industry sectors, interested individuals and groups, regarding potential opportunities and impacts of an FTA with the UK. Individuals, organisations and groups that make formal submissions are registered as stakeholders by DFAT for further consultation and follow up, as appropriate. The FRDC has engaged Jim Fitzgerald & Associates to consult with Australian seafood industry stakeholders and prepare a formal industry submission, by 30 November 2020. In addition, Jim Fitzgerald & Associates will provide technical assistance to the negotiations in support of the Australian seafood industry and provide regular updates to industry stakeholders. This will allow industry a formal channel to input directly into the negotiation process. A positive outcome from the Australia – UK FTA negotiations would:
To register your interest: Contact Jim.fitzgerald@frdc.com.au to register your interest in receiving regular updates on the progress of negotiations and/or to raise issues that you would like addressed in the formal industry submission to the Australian Government. Note: Industry stakeholders previously registered to receive updates from the Australia – European Union FTA negotiations have already been included on the stakeholder distribution list. M A R K E T N E W SBeijing launches platform to trace imported cold-chain foodSource: News Day, 2nd November 2020 The origin and flow of all imported cold-storage meat and aquatic products available on the market in Beijing will now be traceable to put food under effective supervision for COVID-19 control and prevention. All businesses dealing with imported cold chain food in Beijing will be required to upload data on their products, including the origin and flow, onto a new platform. Businesses that have already established their own traceability systems will need to connect those with the platform. To read more, click here COVID consolidating seafood distribution channels in ChinaSource: Seafood Source, 2nd November 2020 The current COVID-related fall in demand for seafood in China could lead to a shake-out of the Chinese seafood distribution scene in favour of large, state-owned trading firms. To read more, click here China will ensure food security at all costsSource: China Daily, 2nd November 2020 Given its limited cultivable land and huge population, China has always emphasised the importance of preventing food wastage from the harvest, transportation, storage and food processing stages to the dining table. In an official document released after the conclusion of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th Communist Party of China Central Committee, it was highlighted the necessity of saving food and preventing food wastage. To read the full article, click here Chinese seafood buying preferences - shift from food service to retailSource: Seafood Source, 28th October 2020 Vendors must work hard to win back consumer trust with a small share of the consumer base now not eating seafood because of the reported links to COVID especially if it’s frozen product. In response, some seafood importers have diversified away from the restaurant sector by processing some of their imported product for retail. To read the full article, click here Hong Kong economy -first signs of revivalSource: The Straits Times, 31st October 2020 Hong Kong's economy showed the first signs of emerging from a crippling recession sparked by political unrest and the global pandemic. Gross domestic product (GDP) declined 3.4% in the third quarter from a year earlier, better than the median estimate of a 5.6% contraction. On a quarter-on-quarter basis, the GDP rose 3%. Read the full article here Fisheries and aquaculture statisticsSource: Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment, 9th October 2020 and FAO 6th October 2020 Recently a number of reports have been released to the public that provides interesting information and statistics relevant to the seafood industry. Click the below links to access. 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 © 2020, Seafood Trade Advisory Group. All rights reserved. |