Pakistan’s seafood exports to China registers 42% increase last year

Beijing: Pakistan’s seafood exports to China have increased by 42% in 2022 as compared to the previous year. This is due to the rising demand for seafood products in China, said Ghulam Qadir, Commercial Counsellor of Pakistan’s Embassy in Beijing.

He said that Pakistan’s seafood exports to China topped US$ 198.36 million in 2022, while in 2021 it was US$ 139.29 million, recorded in the data of the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC).

“The increase in Pakistan’s seafood exports to China is largely attributed to the increasing demand for fish of the Chinese people and the growing popularity of Pakistani fish in Chinese restaurants. This has led to a successive increase in Pakistani seafood exports every year since 2020,” he said.

Qadir mentioned that as per GACC, Pakistan’s export of frozen fish, (commodity code 03038990) to China crossed US$ 63.31 million in 2022, up from US$ 33.43 million in 2021, while in terms of volume, it is more than 30,637.8 tons in 2022 and 18,987.2 tons in 2021.

He further said that the export of fish and other seafood from Pakistan is expected to continue growing at a stable rate throughout this year, as more countries recognize Pakistan’s potential as an exporter of quality seafood products.

Muhammad Amir, a seafood exporter, told China Economic Net (CEN) that the demand for fish, fish meal, and other seafood is increasing as Chinese consumers become more health-conscious, which offers more opportunities to Pakistani seafood exporters.

“The increasing demand has also helped create jobs in the fishing industry, providing employment opportunities to thousands of people across the country”, he mentioned.