Exports of seafood and fishery products rose 17.1% in May from a year earlier to $829 million, according to a recent report by ProChile, a government promotion agency.
Among them, salmon and trout exports increased by 720 million US dollars to 547 million US dollars, fishmeal exports increased by 45.1% to about 60 million US dollars, and fish oil exports increased significantly by 313.8% to 64 million US dollars.
The fastest growing destination market for exports in May was China, up 61.6% year on year to around $85 million, according to ProChile. Salmon and trout exports increased 298.1% to $37 million, and fishmeal exports increased 18.8% to $32 million. The Chinese market accounted for 10.3% of Chile's seafood exports, and the total (including salmon and fishmeal) reached 29,122 tons.
In the first five months of this year, Chile's seafood exports rose 9.1 percent year-on-year to $3.83 billion. Among them, salmon and trout exports increased 1.5% to $2.8 billion; Fishmeal exports increased 55% year-on-year to $205 million; Bamboo pods grew 21.3% to $194 million. Fish oil increased 75.5% year-over-year to $151 million; Mussels rose 33.4% to $135 million; Algae rose 61.2% to $106 million.
In the first five months, China was the destination market with the largest increase in Chilean seafood exports, with exports up 49.8% year-on-year to $306 million, salmon and trout exports up 75.4% year-on-year to $105 million, fishmeal up 82.3% year-on-year to $101 million, and algae up 17% to $56 million.
The Russian market also saw significant growth, with trade volume of approximately $143 million in the first five months of the year, up 104.8% year-on-year, driven by significant increases in salmon and trout exports (up 97.4%, $123 million) and mussels (up 182.3%, $19 million).
In the first five months, Chile's seafood sales to the United States, Japan and Brazil declined by 0.4%, 13.7% and 0.4%, respectively, to $1.34 billion, $455 million and $376 million.