China's seafood exports plateau, imports surge 21 percent

China’s seafood trade has expanded through Q3 2022, according to the latest data from Chinese customs authorities.

Chinese seafood exporters have been battered in recent months by weakness in demand from key Western markets, which are struggling with inflation. China’s overall exports to the U.S. fell 13 percent in October, the third consecutive month of declines, while its overall exports to the European Union dropped 9 percent compared year-over-year. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) economic bloc was China’s top trading partner in the first 10 months of the year.

China’s seafood imports dropped in 2021 and 2020 from an all-time high in 2019, but they remain higher than 2017 and 2018 levels.

Through the first nine months of 2022, China’s seafood exports totaled ....

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