Trade Trends News

Focusing on the "Leaders" in the Aquatic Products Trade Sector

     On the vast stage of international trade, Chinese aquatic products have garnered significant attention for their exceptional performance, becoming an indispensable force within the global supply chain. Representative varieties from different production regions demonstrate remarkable international competitiveness, underpinned by their industrial scale and export achievements.

      Maoming, honored as the "Capital of Tilapia in China," produces approximately one-ninth of the nation's total tilapia output and about one-twelfth of the global yield. According to statistics, in the first three quarters of 2025, the total export value of aquatic products from Maoming City reached 1.83 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 4.8%. Among these, tilapia exports accounted for 1.53 billion yuan, growing by 3.1%. Its deep-processed products, such as frozen fish fillets and fish steaks, are highly popular in European and American markets. The crayfish industry in Hubei Province is equally outstanding, with Qianjiang, known as the "Hometown of Crayfish in China," being a prime example. After over two decades of development, the region has established a complete industrial chain encompassing fry breeding, ecological farming, deep processing, sales distribution, and export trade. Its product line includes more than 20 categories, including shrimp meat, seasoned crayfish, and crayfish tails. In the first quarter of 2025, crayfish products supervised by Xiantao Customs for export totaled 268.8 tons, with a value of 16.223 million yuan, representing year-on-year increases of 14.2% and 12.7%, respectively. On April 28 of the same year, a shipment of approximately 20 tons of seasoned crayfish successfully entered the Middle Eastern market for the first time, marking the product's entry into a new international market. Zhanjiang, recognized as the "Capital of Golden Pomfret in China," achieves an annual golden pomfret output of 100,000 tons. In 2022, Zhanjiang's golden pomfret product exports reached 11,600 tons, sold to multiple regions including the United States, the European Union, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. From January to October 2025, the export value of golden pomfret products from Zhanjiang City amounted to 236 million yuan, a substantial year-on-year increase of 45.75%. Whether as chilled, lightly dried products, or various prepared dishes, Zhanjiang golden pomfret has won the favor of global consumers with its firm, tender, and delicious flesh.

      The success of these aquatic products in the international market stems from the comprehensive capabilities and immense potential accumulated by China's fisheries sector across multiple areas, including breeding technology, processing techniques, quality control, industrial chain coordination, and brand building.

Analysis of Core Competitiveness

Solid Foundation in Industrial Scale

     The tilapia industry in Maoming operates on a massive scale, with annual output constituting nearly one-ninth of the national total and approximately one-twelfth of the global supply. This provides a strong foundation for its widespread availability in international markets. The crayfish industry in Hubei, centered on Qianjiang, has formed a powerful industrial cluster, maintaining high annual production volumes and ensuring stable supply to both domestic and foreign markets. Zhanjiang's stable annual output of 100,000 tons of golden pomfret secures its vital position within the global supply chain for similar products, making it a key source of supply.

 Excellent Quality Assurance System

     Scientific breeding models are central to ensuring product quality. Maoming tilapia farming leverages the high-quality water resources of western Guangdong, controlling stocking density, implementing scientific feeding, and conducting regular water quality monitoring to ensure healthy fish growth. This results in fish meat that is delicate, low in bones, high in protein, and rich in amino acids, earning it the nickname "white-fleshed salmon." The primary crayfish production areas in Hubei feature abundant aquatic plants and excellent water quality, providing an ideal growth environment that yields crayfish with shiny shells and plump, firm meat. Zhanjiang golden pomfret benefits from the clear and suitable waters of the South China Sea, growing naturally and developing a characteristically thick and delicious flesh.

      Advanced processing technologies further enhance product value. Maoming tilapia processing employs full-process deep-freezing freshness-locking technology with meticulous handling to preserve flavor and nutrients. The Hubei crayfish industry utilizes modern cleaning, sterilization, seasoning, and packaging technologies to develop a diverse range of ready-to-eat and prepared products. The processing of Zhanjiang golden pomfret focuses on retaining its original flavor and form, adhering to strict standardized procedures whether for chilled, lightly dried, or prepared dish production.

Significant Market Share Performance

     In European and American markets, Maoming tilapia has steadily increased its market share due to its high cost-effectiveness and consistent quality. Products like frozen fillets have become staple items on many household dining tables. Hubei crayfish performs strongly in Southeast Asian markets, where geographical proximity and similarities in dietary culture contribute to the popularity of its fresh and seasoned products in countries like Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. Simultaneously, it holds a dominant position in the domestic consumer market. Zhanjiang golden pomfret sells well in numerous countries, holding a place in both the high-end seafood markets of the US and EU, and the mass consumer markets of Southeast Asia and the Middle East, with demand continuously growing.

Future Development Opportunities

 Expansion Space in Emerging Markets

     The implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement has created favorable conditions for Chinese aquatic products to explore emerging markets. The gradual reduction of tariffs within the region has significantly lowered trade costs. For instance, barriers to entry for Chinese aquatic products into markets like Indonesia, Japan, and South Korea have been further reduced. The historical performance and growth potential of Hainan's juvenile amberjack exports to Japan, along with the facilitated exports of other advantageous categories like fish fillets and shrimp to Japan and South Korea under the RCEP framework, all indicate new growth opportunities.

 Demand Driven by Consumption Upgrading

     Globally, demand for high-quality, nutritious aquatic products is steadily increasing. Maoming tilapia, due to its health attributes, is seeing deeper integration into both household consumption and food service channels. Hubei crayfish is expanding from mass-market dining into high-end creative dishes, enhancing its added value. Zhanjiang golden pomfret continues to gain recognition in premium seafood markets both domestically and internationally, aligning with the consumption upgrading trend.

 Deepening Synergy Across the Entire Industry Chain

     From the selection and breeding of high-quality fry and the development of specialized feed, to the creation of deep-processed products like prepared meals, China's aquatic products industry chain is continuously extending both upstream and downstream. Advances in fry technology improve farming efficiency and product quality. The development of specialized feed ensures the nutrition and health of aquatic products. The rise of the prepared meal industry, exemplified by tilapia-based products, various flavored crayfish dishes, and golden pomfret prepared meals, not only enriches consumption scenarios and increases product added value but also broadens sales channels, meeting diverse market demands.

Challenges and Responses

Analysis of Main Challenges

     Chinese aquatic product exports face multiple challenges, including international market volatility, technical trade measures, and logistics and preservation requirements. International market prices, influenced by supply and demand, are subject to uncertainty, potentially squeezing corporate profits. The increasingly stringent food safety and residue limit standards (such as the EU's strict limits on substances like chloramphenicol) in some developed markets constitute technical barriers. Furthermore, trade protectionist measures like anti-dumping investigations introduce additional uncertainty. Aquatic products demand extremely high standards for cold chain logistics. Well-developed cold chain infrastructure and manageable transportation costs are crucial for ensuring product quality and enhancing international competitiveness.

 Suggested Response Strategies

     Addressing these challenges requires a concerted effort from multiple stakeholders:

     1.Policy Level: Increase support for fisheries science and technology research and development; alleviate the burden on enterprises through measures like tax incentives and subsidies; actively participate in international economic and trade negotiations to promote trade facilitation and foster a favorable external environment.

     2.Industry Level: Strengthen industry self-regulation and standard formulation to drive unified quality improvement; establish information platforms to help enterprises stay informed about international market dynamics and regulatory requirements.

     3.Enterprise Level: Continuously invest in technological innovation to enhance breeding, processing, and preservation technologies; strengthen independent brand building to increase market recognition and premium potential; implement market diversification strategies by actively exploring emerging markets to reduce reliance on any single market and mitigate associated risks.

Future Outlook

     China's representative aquatic products, supported by a solid industrial foundation, excellent product quality, and continuously expanding market space, have already established a significant position in global trade. Although challenges lie ahead on the path forward, through the continuous optimization and collaborative efforts of all segments of the industry chain, Chinese aquatic products are poised to further consolidate and enhance their influence in the international market, writing a new chapter in the high-quality development of China's fisheries sector. Let us jointly anticipate these high-quality aquatic products shining even more brilliantly on the global stage.