Chile exported fisheries and aquaculture products for a value of USD 4,697 million in 2011, 31 per cent more than in 2010, when they totalled USD 3,578 million.
Nationally, these shipments accounted for 5.8 per cent of all Chilean exports last year, which totalled USD 80,586 million.
The Report of Fisheries and Aquaculture Sector prepared by the Undersecretariat of Fisheries (SUBPESCA) indicates that in 2011, 1,176,534 tonnes of fishery and aquaculture products were sent abroad, that is to say, 19 per cent more than the previous year ( 989,012 tonnes).
The average price was around USD 4 per kilogram, which meant an inter-annual growth of over 2 per cent.
Looking at exports by sector, there is a strong recovery in aquaculture, associated with frozen lines and to a lesser extent, to the chilled fresh resources.
The leading items were Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout, whose most important markets were the United States and Japan, respectively.
According to SUBPESCA’s report, the export of fish oil rose by 76 per cent in value, from USD 50 million (in 2010) to USD 88 million, and smoked products, 44.3 per cent, from USD 74 million to USD 108 million. Sales of dried seaweed and agar agar also increased, but to a lesser extent.
In contrast, fishmeal shipments abroad fell by 10.4 per cent y-o-y, from USD 534 million to USD 479 million.
Both, super prime and prime fishmeal showed a drop in valuations due to lower shipments to China and Japan, respectively.
Preserves also had a negative behaviour, and their exports were down 4 per cent y-o-y, from USD 143 million to USD 138 million.
The main export destination of fisheries and aquaculture was Japan, with a share of 31.3 per cent and USD 1,472 million.
Behind came the U.S., with 18.7 per cent share and USD 877 million, and China, with 8.4 per cent and USD 394 million.
Frozen products concentrated 60 per cent of fish shipments, valued at USD 2,838.2 million, 43.4 per cent more than in 2010. The export volume increased by 35.5 per cent.
Japan accounted for 46 per cent of shipments of frozen products and U.S., 11 per cent.
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