The world’s second ranked producer of seafood goes after export market share.
Indonesian seafood exporters are among the most sought company names in current searches of our US import trade data, accounting for 19 of the top 20 last month. (You can see the current top five country, product and company name searches of our data at the bottom of Datamyne’s home page.)
Hard to say how much of this interest can be credited to the Blue Revolution, Indonesia’s campaign to boost production of seafood and sales to global markets. But the Indonesian Fishery and Marine Ministry has forecast fishery exports will hit US$5 billion this year, a big gain over 2012’s US$3.25 billion in overseas sales.
When the Blue Revolution launched in 2010, Indonesia ranked second by volume worldwide in capture production with 5,380,266 tons of seafood, including fish, crustaceans, and mollusks. It ranked fourth in aquaculture production with 2,304,828 tons. However, it ranked only 13th by value as an exporter of seafood, shipping US$2.56 billion’s worth. (These rankings are from the FAO Annual Fisheries and Aquaculture Statistics for 2010, the latest available.)
The US, the world’s leading importer of seafood, is a prime prospect for Indonesia. Our trade data shows Indonesia increasing exports to the US, moving to the fourth ranked source by value in 2012. Measured by shipment volumes, Indonesia is still on an upward, though flatter, trajectory, but slips from fifth to sixth place, as Chile and Ecuador gain. Note that top competitor Thailand has sustained heavy losses in shrimp production due to disease over the last year.
Our 2012 US import bill of lading data reveals the companies that are parties to both sides of this trade – see the table below for the top five shippers and consignees by volume.
The uncertain global economy could be a drag on the Blue Revolution’s momentum. But there’s a more imminent risk of lost sales to the US: the ITC inquiry into whether to impose countervailing duties on imports of frozen warmwater shrimp from Indonesia, along with six other countries (see Shrimp CVD Inquiry Gets Underway).
PT Central Pertiwi Bahari and PT First Marine Seafoods, second and third among 2012’s top shippers, are mandatory respondents in that investigation. Our analysis of the bills of lading indicates that shipments of shrimp account for nearly 65% of total US seafood imports from Indonesia.
The ITC’s preliminary determination is due May 28.
With our US import bill of lading data available online within 24 hours of receipt from Customs, you can closely follow the impact on seafood trade of CVDs, outbreaks of disease, a sputtering economy, or whatever else the future holds. Ask us to show you how.
