TUNA TRADE IN ASIA
Fatima Ferdouse
INFOFISH
TUNA 2012, Bangkok
Global Canned Tuna Trade
World C anned Tuna Imports (MT)
1,400,000
1,200,000
1,000,000
Oceania
Africa
800,000
600,000
400,000
200,000
2000200120022003200420052006200720082009
0
Asia
Americas
Europe
Imports increased
steady and
strong in Asia
(mainly Middle
East) , Africa
and Latin
America
Diversification in Asian Tuna Trade
• Marketing strategies have taken new directions in
Asia .
• In export trade , there is a strong focus on the Middle
East , Near East and West African markets.
• However, the existing markets in East Asia did not
show much growth for non-canned or CANNED TUNA
in the recent years ,although demand and sales of
other high value seafood are on the rise in many
regional markets
Trends in Asia’s Tuna Trade
Exports (tons)
900,000
800,000
700,000
600,000
Fresh
500,000
Canned
400,000
Frozen
300,000
200,000
100,000
0
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Exports of frozen
tuna are strong to
the regional
markets :
• Japan (for
sashimi grade
tuna)
• Thailand ( for
canning raw
material)
• Raw material
imports are
growing in China
and in the
Philippines
Thailand
Philippines
Indonesia
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
China
PNG
Tons
0
100000
200000
300000
400000
500000
600000
CANNED TUNA EXPORTS
Thailand is obviously the industry leader
• Supply gap is
extremely wide
compared with the
others.
800000
700000
600000
500000
Thailand
400000
300000
200000
Philippimes
100000
0
2006
China
2007
2008
2009
Indonesia
2010
2011
• Market diversification
is strong to nontraditional markets
The Arab Region: Canned tuna exports from Thailand,
Indonesia, Philippines and China to Middle East and West
African markets increased significantly
200000
180000
Others
160000
Lebanon
Kuwait
140000
Tunisia
Yemen
120000
Jordan
UAE
100000
Israel
Syria
80000
Algeria
Saudi Arabia
60000
It is possibly
the 3rd largest
canned tuna
market area in
the world ;
imported
nearly 200,000
tons of canned
tuna in 2010
Libya
40000
Egypt
20000
0
2008
2009
2010
.
-------except
in the Philippines- the region’s second
largest producer/ exporter of canned tuna .
Tons
200000
180000
Others
160000
Australia
Japan
140000
UAE
120000
Saudi Arabia
100000
Singapore
Hong Kong
80000
Kuwait
60000
Canada
40000
EU
USA
20000
0
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Exports fell by 8% and 23% in 2010 and 2011
Tuna and food security
• Tuna prices increased world wide and it is no more a
cheap seafood in the producing countries whether
yellowfin or skipjack .
• Canned tuna used to support the national food security
programme in the Philippines . Today it is not
affordable to many households.
• In Maldives where tuna consumption is possibly the
highest in the world . Its high price has also affected
domestic consumption.
Tuna Trade in China is Growing
C hina: F rozen tuna trade
160000
140000
120000
Imports
100000
E x ports
80000
Frozen tuna
imports increased
for reprocessing
canned tuna and
cooked loins
60000
40000
.
20000
0
2009
2010
2011
China: Canned Tuna Trade
While canned tuna exports
rise reasonably, imports for
domestic consumption are
comparatively small in China.
60000
50000
40000
Export
Import
30000
20000
10000
0
.
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Looking at the market potential,
non- regional producer promotes
canned tuna in China .
China’s Consumer Market
•In 2010, China became the world’s second largest
economy in the world
•Seafood consumption increased from 11.5kg in
1990 to current level of over 25 kg/per capita and
expected to reach to 36 kg in 2020 .
• Over 200 million middle income consumers are
served by over 100 000 supermarkets
• China has more than 100 cities with urban
population more than 1 million
•900 million rural consumers and increasing
urbanization
Tuna Import Trends in Asia
including Japan (tons)
1,400,000
1,200,000
Frozen Tuna Imports for reprocessing ( in tons)
1,000,000
800,000
Frozen
2011
600,000
Canned
Thailand
400,000
Fresh
2010
Philippines
200,000
0
China
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
2009
0
100000 200000 300000 400000 500000 600000 700000 800000 900000
Canned Tuna Import Trends
Prepared/Canned Tuna Imports (excl Japan) - MT
5000
4500
4000
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
2004
Indonesia
2005
S Lanka
2006
S.Korea
2007
2008
China
2009
S'pore
2010
Malaysia
2011
HK
Taiwan
Intra –regional trade for cooked loins
increased among the Asia –Pacific
countries .
• This market segment
did not show much
growth in Southeast
Asia , although demand
rises for other high
value seafood including
high-priced canned fish.
…For example, southeast
Asian retail demand for
conventional canned
tuna softened but
increased for canned
‘sardine and anchovy in
olive oil’.
Retail prices in Southeast Asia range from
US$1.50-3.00/can ----- much higher than the US
market
Omega-3 and ‘Olive oil’
is a better choice to
many health conscious
consumers !
Price: US$1.56/ can, 6oz
The regional tuna market - non-canned or
canned , has been relatively flat in the recent
years
•
Following the general price
trend world wide , fish prices
increased in Asia. But that trend
did not hamper high value
seafood imports into many Asian
markets.
• Norwegian Seafood Council
runs strong campaign in Asia for
salmon , but there is v-e-r-y
little or almost no promotion for
tuna or tuna products in the
regional markets.
In catering trade , tuna is being increasingly
replaced with salmon for sashimi and sushi
preparations
Salmon promotion is wide spread in
urban Asia, compared with tuna
Conclusion and Outlook
Production base : Change in raw material requirements
Thailand will continue to dominate canned tuna
production and exports in the global market.
But expected to export less and import more cooked
loins in future.
Thus there will be opportunities to sell more cooked
loins to Thailand from China, Indonesia, India and
PNG
Product, Image ,Price :
Though produced in Asia, canned tuna is not a cheap
seafood in the regional market . At the same time, it
does not have the image of a high QUALITY /high value
seafood to consumers who are willing to pay “premium
price” for the preferred quality and attractive packaging.
---In general quality and ‘getup’ of canned tuna need to
be improved to attract potential customers ,
particularly in Southeast .
Quality and consumer preference :
Consumers in southeast Asia (Malaysia, Singapore,
Indonesia, Brunei) often associate high quality
canned fish with olive oil. Today, sardine in olive oil
sells at higher price than canned tuna.
Influence of Arab food culture:
Associated with the influx of
Arab visitors and tourists and
temporary residents in the region
, there is a strong influence of
Arab food on southeast urban
population, particularly the upper
middle class. Hence canned tuna
with olive or olive oil is currently
a popular choice.
This temporary foreign population
is a good consumer base for high
value canned tuna . In summer,
many of them spend 3-6 months
in Malaysia and Thailand
Seafood Market Growth in Asia will Influence
Canned Tuna Consumption
The demography : The largest regional population ,
their rising disposable income and preference for
seafood will induce demand for canned tuna . For
the preferred quality, these consumers are ready to
pay premier price.
• Large retail market : Asia- Pacific and Central Asia
regions will grow to take a 41% share of the global
retail food market in 2020, compared with 33% in
2003.
China is already the largest food retail market
superseding the USA.
By 2020 India will be among the top 5 food retail
markets
THANK YOU