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Article: In Q1 Ecuador, China and PNG dominate canned tuna trade into the EU
20 May 2020
Canned tuna trade flows during Q1 2020 shows stability among top
players. However, the Covid-19 outbreak globally impacting
industries out of China from March suggests a different scenario in
Q2.
With April's customs trade data yet to be released, the latest
update as of March 2020 shows top canned tuna supplier to the EU27
Ecuador challenged by increasing Chinese imports, a promising
uptrend yet suddenly disrupted in February.
The outbreak effects quickly expanding worldwide, forcing
lockdowns and world-wide sanitary measures that highly impacted
canning activity in Ecuador from mid-March to date: trade to the
EU27 and UK markets are said to be significantly diminished in
April - customs data soon to be released.
However, Chinese tuna canning activities and trade resuming in
March are likely to offset production gaps due to lockdowns,
vessels' crew replacement and movement restrictions, impacting top
tuna hubs in the last month.
So far, Papua New Guinea shipments into the EU27 are up 60% and
the EU27 leading canned tuna supply into the UK are the highlights
for Q1 2020.
Ecuador
Ecuadorian prepared tuna exports to the EU were up by a quarter
in Q1: total volume reached 42,000 tonnes, of which 30% is
precooked tuna loins. Average price fob customs data reports for
the period is 13% down y-o-y.
Within the EU27, Spain received 38% of the total bulk, followed
by The Netherlands (14.7%), Italy (9.8%), Germany and France (7%
each); shipments to the UK shared 8.25% of the total.
China
EU27 and the UK imports from China in Q1 increased by 45% to
33,000 tonnes, of which 95.8% was "fillets known as loins of
skipjack, prepared or preserved. Price fob was down 17% y-o-y.
Within the EU, Spanish imports represented 86% of the total,
followed by Italy (5%); Chinese shipments to the UK were none.
The bulk of Chinese shipments was reported in January, as trade
in February and March was completely disrupted - customs data
reports fewer tonnes for February and March.
Papua New Guinea
EU27 and UK imports from Papua New Guinea, foremost source for
MSC sustainable certified canned skipjack tuna products, reached
record highs, increasing 58% during the January to March period to
14,500 tonnes. The average price customs data reports for the
period is down 9.3% y-o-y.
The bulk of the exports, prepared or canned tuna, doubled in
volumes from the previous period, to 5,000 tonnes.
Top EU27 destination, Germany, received 7,000 tonnes, followed
by The Netherlands and Spain with 2,000 tonnes each. France and the
UK received 1,000 tonnes each.
Indonesia
EU27 imports of canned tuna from Indonesia also increased during
the period, by 11.4% to 11,000 tonnes. The bulk was equally shared
between fillets known as loins of yellowfin and those of
skipjack.
Italy, traditional top EU market for the Indonesian product,
received 63% of the total bulk (7,800 tonnes).
The 37% left was shared between Spain, the UK, Portugal, France
and the Netherlands.
Seychelles and Mauritius
While volumes from Seychelles were consistent compared with the
previous year, those from Mauritius halved during the period.
Around 75% of the bulk was canned skipjack tuna and the 25% left
was yellowfin canned tuna.
EU27 imports shared 75% of the total, with those into the UK
sharing the 25% left.
Customs data reporting lower volumes from Seychelles, Mauritius,
Ghana and Ivory Coast into the EU27 during the Q1 2020 is the
result of not including the UK as an EU reporting country anymore
since January this year due to Brexit.
Ghana and Ivory Coast
EU27 and UK canned tuna imports from Ghana and Ivory Coast
totalled 10,400 tonnes for the period, down 32.5% y-o-y - customs
data shows incomplete volumes for Ivory Coast as of May 15.
Volumes into the EU27 represented 77% of the total (mainly
France and Germany), with those to the UK sharing the 23% left.
Around 23% of total volumes are related to canned yellowfin
tuna, with the 77% left to canned skipjack tuna.
Thailand
EU27 imports from Thailand totalled 6,600 tonnes, up 12% y-o-y.
The Netherlands was the top destination, sharing 28% of the total
bulk, followed by France (21%).
Fewer volumes to secondary EU27 markets such as Germany (837
tonnes), Finland (338 tonnes), Sweden (237 tonnes), Greece (227
tonnes) are significant as show increases from previous years.
UK imports totalled 900 tonnes, similar with previous years.
Outlook
As of May 15, the global canned tuna market remains quiet and
raw material prices for this commodity continue to decline.
A Chinese industry source noted today (May 15): "Customers are
asking us to wait for new orders, they want to check with
supermarkets whether more stocks are expected to be needed […] They
are not buying fiercely right know, so I believe new orders will
come as soon as stocks start to be cleared […] Actually, the EU
market is becoming more active these days."
EU27 and UK prepared tuna imports Q1 yearly
comparison
China becomes top prepared tuna supplier to the EU27 as the EU27
is to the UK