Some of these articles are in foreign languages and can be automatically translated on Google Chrome. 

Note: These articles are a round-up of news media in key seafood markets. The information is provided as part of our market intelligence service to Australian seafood exporters. The views expressed in the media articles are not those of the STAG and are in no way endorsed by us. 

Image: Reuters: Dado Ruvic

🚫 China: Taiwan seafood exporters lose mainland access

Many Taiwanese seafood exporters are facing new difficulties accessing the mainland China market, after reportedly failing to provide information necessary to successfully register in the CIFER system.

The complications are in addition to Beijing’s restrictions on imports of grouper, horse mackerel, and hairtail from Taiwan, which were introduced in August, and reportedly accounted for 30% of Taiwan’s seafood export sales. Read more from Taipei Times here

According to Taiwan News, “China has rejected all but one of the applications of over 100 businesses that submitted supplementary paperwork for export permissions. The main products barred this time around are squid, Pacific saury, and East Asian fourfinger threadfin.” Read more here.

Chinese officials have downplayed the development: “The (Chinese government) spokesperson said the Taiwan authorities' remarks about a ban without warning are just hype. Companies that have not offered complete registration information fail to meet the requirements of the mainland, and this is just normal supervision for the sake of food security”. Read more on the Global Times here.

According to Taiwanese news service New Tang Dynasty, exporters and officials are accelerating export diversification plans to offset the risk of heavy reliance on the China seafood market. Read more here.

STAG understands Taiwanese enterprises had been required to comply with the new system earlier than other suppliers, including Australia.

Any Australian seafood export establishment that is unsure of the progression of their  applications (either modification or extension) in the CIFER system is encouraged to contact the department via exportlisting@agriculture.gov.au to ensure no steps have been missed and all required information has been provided. Any establishment that has had a modification application approved is strongly encouraged to submit their extension application as soon as possible. STAG and SIA are monitoring this issue closely.

Image: RNZ

👩‍⚖️ USA restricts NZ seafood imports over dolphin concerns

A US court has placed a restriction on imports of certain New Zealand fisheries products over environmental concerns. According to Radio New Zealand, “The injunction handed down by the United States Court of International Trade applies to nine species from the West Coast North Island inshore trawl and set net fisheries, including snapper, tarakihi and spotted dogfish.”  Read more here.

Stuff.co.nz reports: ‘‘Conservation group Sea Shepherd had asked the US Court of International Trade to bring in a ban, arguing a lack of action by the New Zealand government to protect critically endangered Māui dolphins. There are only around 50 left.” Read more here.

Image: Zhuanlan.zhihu.com

🦞 China: Nutritional value of rock lobster

Chinese consumers are keenly attuned to the nutritional and medicinal benefits of a diet rich in seafood. In considering a China marketing approach for Australian rock lobster, exporters should be aware of how the Chinese see this product in terms of nutrition and health.

According to this post on Zhihu.com, ‘eating Australian lobster can not only satisfy the taste buds and stomach of foodies, but also supplement certain nutrients to the human body substance.’ Read more here.

But BEWARE: always take the following precautions when eating Australian rock lobster. Don't eat too much and don't drink beer - “eating Australian lobster with beer will induce gout”!

Image: Supermarketperimeter.com

💹 EU seafood spending increased in 2021  

The Fish Site reports that household expenditure on fish and seafood in the EU grew by 7 percent in 2021 from 2020, continuing the upward trend already registered between 2019 and 2020. Read more here.

And despite worries about inflation and imminent slowdowns in the world’s major economies, Rabobank is positive about the seafood trade outlook for next year: “We expect the strong rebound in the value of global seafood trade flows to continue as the world emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic,” according to Rabobank. “Major markets like the US and Europe have fully recovered, while China is gradually returning to pre-pandemic import levels”. Read more here        

The STAG is funded by partners:

www.seafoodtradeadvisory.com

The Seafood Trade Advisory Group (STAG) is jointly funded by the Australian government and the fishing industry. We receive funds from the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC).which is a statutory authority within the portfolio of the Federal Minister for Agriculture, Water and the Environment. 

 Any information provided in this STAG publication is general in nature. Before acting on any information provided, you should consider its appropriateness to your individual circumstances and business objectives.