Europeans relish shrimp more than others: FAO report

The European Union (EU) is emerging as the largest shrimp importer in the world. During January-June 2007, EU countries imported 3.56 lakh tonne of shrimp in different forms from Asian and Latin American origins.

?Unlike the US and Japan, the EU market for shrimp continued to expand. Although EU imports for warm water shrimp increased, cold water shrimp imports were on a downward trend, with the exception of cold water Argentine shrimp sales, which increased significantly thanks to record high landings,? according to the FAO’s ‘Globefish’, the shrimp import market report, for October. Indian exports to Germany made small growth, while to the UK there was a marginal decline.

Almost all major European shrimp markets experienced an increase of their imports during the period under survey. This was apart from the UK, which is the number one market in Europe for cold water shrimp, which consequently registered a 10% decline in imports, the report said.

During the first half of 2007, the Spanish shrimp market continued to expand strongly at a 16% growth rate.

China maintained its position of first supplier to Spain with a slight increase of 9% on 2006 figures. However, the general increase in Spanish shrimp imports is mainly due to the massive volumes imported from Argentina.

Shrimp imports by France during the first half of 2007 were at record high levels compared to previous years, with more than 45,000 tonne, an 8% increase on last year’s figures.

Among top European markets, the UK is the only country, which experienced a decrease in its shrimp imports. This is true for both frozen products (-12%) and for processed products (10%). Iceland, the major supplier to the UK for prepared and preserved products, significantly dropped its exports to this country in recent years, from 9,200 tonne in 2004 to 5,400 tonne this year. India and Denmark also registered a decline in their exports to the UK.

Shrimp imports by Germany are almost equally divided between frozen products (49%) and prepared and preserved products (45%). Thailand, India, and the Netherlands are by far the three major suppliers to Germany.

The US reduction in shrimp imports was visible only in the second quarter of 2007.

The trend may be reversed thanks to the readjustment of shrimp anti-dumping duty rates, which are, in some cases, beneficial for exporting countries.