China’s seafood exports in the first five months rose a mere 0.7 percent year on year in value terms to USD 8 billion (EUR 7 billion), while imports, at USD 4.2 billion (EUR 3.7 billion), were up a whopping 17.1 percent in value, according to data from Chinese Customs. That means the country’s much-touted trade surplus in seafood fell by 12.8 percent on the same period in 2016, but is still worth USD 3.8 billion (EUR 3.3 billion).
China has seen strong growth in imports of edible oils, grains and meats in recent years. However the data shows seafood imports has outpaced growth in imports of other meats. For example, China’s beef imports rose 14 percent, while lamb imports rose 8.3 percent year-on-year in the first five months of 2017.
