For the first time, Ecuador is the leading supplier of seafood to the Chinese market

Ecuador, for the first time, ranks first as a supplier of seafood products leveraged by shrimp exports to the Chinese market after relegating Russia to second place, followed by Canada.

According to data from the CNA between January and November 2021, the shrimp sector reached shipments of $4,539 million to all destinations including China, 34% more compared to 2020 when $3,391 million were exported.

This was reported on Wednesday by the National Chamber of Aquaculture (CNA), an entity that indicated that the information was generated by the Chinese portal mp.weixin.qq.com based on the recent announcement by China Customs that revealed the latest annual data on import of aquatic products last year.

The figures reflect that in 2021 Chinese imports of seafood from Ecuador increased by 27% year-on-year to $2,187 million, of which shrimp imports reached 379,000 tons, the highest value to date.

For Ecuador, China represents the first destination for shrimp exports, with a 46% share of its total sales.

In addition, it is highlighted that imports of seafood from the Asian giant recovered 12% compared to 2020 by importing an amount of $14.2 billion, although still below the historical peak of $15.8 billion in 2019 when imports of aquatic products from the Asian country fell by 20%.

“Our industry’s commitment to quality is permanent, as we constantly strengthen our controls to offer a safe product through strict biosafety protocols and complete traceability,” said José Antonio Camposano, executive president of the CNA.

The leader endorsed the good reputation of Ecuadorian shrimp in all export markets to the strict quality, safety and biosafety controls maintained by the shrimp sector to guarantee the safety of its consumers.

Meanwhile, according to data from the CNA, between January and November 2021, the shrimp sector reached shipments of $4,539 million to all destinations, including China, 34% more compared to 2020 when $3,391 million were exported.

With this yield, shrimp became the most important non-oil product in the country’s traditional basket, followed by bananas.

One of the companies that exports the crustacean to different markets around the world, including China, is Negocios Industriales Real (Nirsa), which began producing, packing and exporting shrimp in 1981.

It currently arrives with this product in Germany, Canada, Chile, Colombia, South Korea, USA, Spain, France, Italy, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates.

José Juez, manager of the Nirsa packing plant, commented that the shrimp industry in Ecuador has grown from 2006 to 2020 by 400% of the volume produced/exported, which demonstrates the high level of efficiency and modernization that Ecuador currently has in farming. of shrimp.

On the other hand, he considers that some factors that influence the preference of foreign markets against Ecuadorian shrimp have to do with quality, species, product characteristics such as flavor, food safety, certifications, among others.

Among the plans that Nirsa has for this line of business in 2022 is the increase in production capacity with the purchase of new machinery, with which the company plans to end 2022 with a 35% increase in production versus that of 2021, approximately 140 million pounds, between whole shrimp, tail and value added. (I)