INFOFISH TRADE NEWS HIGHLIGHTS 

US$2.9 BILLION TARGETTED FOR FISHERIES EXPORTS IN 2010 - INDONESIA

The country’s Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry expects to increase the total export value of fishery products to US$2.9 billion in 2010, up from last year’s US$2.3 billion. The ministry’s official said the fisheries industry would also benefit from market expansion to non-traditional export market destinations such as to countries in the Middle East and Central Asia. It targets to increase the export value of fishery products to the two markets to around US$150 million in 2010 from US$60 million last year. Apart from the Middle East and Central Asia, the ministry was also eyeing other potential markets, such as Africa and East European countries. The four markets still represented a big potential for the Indonesian fisheries sector although their combined export value in 2008 only accounted for 7%, or around US$185 million, of the total exports.

An official from the ministry recently visited Iran to make an agreement to export a targetted 2 000 MT of pre-cooked tuna loins in 2010.  Seafood exports to Iran were valued at US$1 million in 2008, up from around US$260 000 in 2007 and US$120 000 in 2006. The ministry i s also preparing MoUs with eight other developing member countries on fishery product exports and an agreed standard of quality. The ministry would however still nurture its traditional markets in the US, Japan and EU countries as the three had always accounted for the lion’s share or around 72% of the total export value of the fisheries sector for the last 10 years. Over the decade, Southeast Asian markets including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam have contributed 11% of total fisheries export value. The East Asian markets such as China, Hong Kong, Korea and Taiwan, contributed 10%.

BILATERAL TRADE NEED TO BE EXPANDED

Malaysia and Bangladesh’s private sectors should further enhance co-operation and expand the range of goods traded between the two countries, said International Trade and Industry Minister of Malaysia Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed. Bilateral trade between Malaysia and Bangladesh grew by 65% to RM2.48 billion (US$729 million) in 2008 from RM1.598 billion (US$470 million) in 2007. Malaysia’s exports to Bangladesh totalled RM2.285 billion (US$672 million) while imports amounted to RM197.1 million (US$58 million). He said Bangladeshi companies should also use Malaysia as a “bridge” to market their products in Southeast Asia and in the Far East countries. Currently, Malaysia’s major exports to Bangladesh are palm oil, chemicals and petroleum products, while Bangladesh’s exports to Malaysia are seafood, textile and textile products, agricultural goods and handicrafts.

FISH PRODUCTION TO REACH 51.9 MILLION MT IN 2010

China’s aquatic production in 2010 is forecast at 51.9 million MT, up 3% over the estimated 50.4 million MT in 2009. Production growth is driven by strong domestic consumption resulting from growing disposable incomes, and export-oriented aquatic processing.

As a result of the slow-down in the world economy, total aquatic trade (export & import) value is expected to decline for the first time in five years to an estimated at $12.9 billion in 2009, down from $13.3 billion the previous year. Japan continued to be the largest export destination for Chinese fishery products.The US maintains as the second largest seafood supplier to China and the second largest buyer of China’s processed aquatic products with fish fillet as the largest category in 2009. Bilateral aquatic trade is likely to grow in 2010 along with the anticipated recovery of the global economy. (See details in the Fact Sheet of this issue).

US  EDIBLE  FISHERY IMPORTS DECLINING IN 2008

The US Department of Commerce reported a 0.4% decline in imports of food fish and fishery products in 2008; which means a 54 607 MT lower imports compared to 2007. This will show a negative trend on the 2008 US per capita consumption of fish and seafood, as more than 80% of the country’s food fish supply comes from imported sources. 

The import value, on the converse, increased by US$ 474 million due to the weaker US dollar against the currencies in the supplying countries. Following a worldwide price hike for tuna in 2008, importers also paid more for tuna products which is the second most popular seafood in the USA, after shrimp.

Last year the US market imported 2.37 million MT of edible fishery products at a Customs declared value of US$ 14.2 billion. The top six suppliers in value were Canada, China, Thailand, Chile, Indonesia and Vietnam. Although third

EXPANSION PLANS FOR CARREFOUR


Carrefour plans to expand more outlets in Malaysia and Singapore over the next few years. According to Carrefour Malaysia's Chief Executive Officer Guillaume de Colonges, the company aimed to double the number of hypermarkets in Malaysia to 40 by 2012.  Carrefour Malaysia will open three additional hypermarkets in the Klang Valley by end-January. Carrefour is also negotiating with several parties in Sabah and Sarawak to set up its hypermarkets there as well as in Kelantan and Terengganu. In Singapore, six to eight more Carrefour supermarkets and one hypermarket will be established in the next three years.  A sum of over US$84 million has been allocated for this expansion and the new stores will have halal sections in their bakery, butchery and fish departments. .