Prof. ST Hsieh
Director, US-China Energy Industry Forum
626-376-7460
Live lobster exports to China dropped from nearly $12 million to just over $4 million after the recent tarifs went into effect, which impose a 25% tariff on U.S. lobster specifically. 2020
The global lobster market reached a value of US$ 5.66 Billion in 2020. Looking forward, IMARC Group expects the market to grow at a CAGR of 10.1% during 2021-2026. In line with the decreasing trade in the EU, the US and tropical exporters are turning towards the Chinese market where lobsters have become an integral part of the luxurious dining experience supported by the rising purchasing power of the middle class.
Update: U.S. lobster set to feed another Chinese New Year as demand booms
Xinhua
6th February 2022, 03:05 GMT+11
Located in Arundel, the U.S. state of Maine, The Lobster Co., has been selling fresh seafood since 1994 and is among the earliest in America to sell lobsters to China. The northeasternmost U.S. state of Maine generally accounts for 80 percent to 85 percent of all U.S. lobster sales.
“I sold to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong,” said Stephanie Nadeau, owner of The Lobster Co., who started her Chinese business in 2009 and sold about 3 million pounds of lobster to the Asian giant last year.
“The big lobsters, the select lobsters, are the premium expensive lobsters, and they tend to go to Beijing or Guangzhou. In Shanghai, they buy a quarter size and half size. And in Hong Kong, they buy mostly the smaller size,” said Nadeau.
Nadeau said Chinese New Year business can last for a couple of weeks and consumption for lobsters there often remains strong even after the holiday.
“It’s like it doesn’t end. It’s not like a U.S. holiday, like it’s Christmas and then Christmas is over,” she said, adding her company shipped about 25,000 pounds per week to China in January.
“That’s how much space I can get on the plane,” said Nadeau, noting international trade has been complicated by the pandemic.
U.S. lobster industry members said business with China is crucial to the U.S. seafood industry, hoping that international shipping difficulties caused by the COVID-19 could be resolved soon.
The Chinese market and Asian customers are “vital to us,” Virginia Olsen, executive liaison of the Maine Lobstering Union, a lobstermen-owned cooperative, told Xinhua.
“We have been preparing for the Lunar New Year since our Christmas holiday … We ship more during the Lunar New Year than we do during Christmas, so we’ve been very busy getting ready,” she said.
Olsen said that U.S. lobster exports to China have “increased exponentially” over the past decade, adding “we hope that this year will be another success.”
Bill Coppersmith, a member of the union who has been in the business for 42 years, said he believes many of the lobsters he caught went to Chinese plates.
“I think China enjoys our product quite a bit,” said Coppersmith. “The more demand that they have for the product, the better it is for the fishermen.”
While the pandemic has impacted U.S. lobster exports overall since its onset about two years ago, the industry’s U.S.-to-China trade pipeline is making a comeback.
International trade data showed that during the first 11 months of 2021, American exporters sent more than 13.2 million pounds of lobster to China, about 6 percent more than the same time period the previous year.
“In the next few years, I suspect we’ll be selling more and more to China. I just hope we can catch enough to keep everybody satisfied,” said Coppersmith, noting stable trade with China is mutually beneficial and win-win.
“It’s good that we can export something to them, because we get so much from China,” he said.
Olsen said the Chinese market has great potential. “We really look forward to building those relationships.”
美龙虾业瞄准中国春节商机
潘丽君 张墨成 王迎
2022年02月06日10:07 | 来源：新华网
原标题：通讯：美龙虾业瞄准中国春节商机
分拣、称重、装箱……寒冬午夜时分，美国缅因州龙虾出口商“龙虾公司”依旧灯火通明，批发车间里工人们正忙着给中国客户备“年货”：连夜打包龙虾，在凌晨装车，以便它们顺利登上前往中国的货运航班。
1月25日，在美国缅因州阿伦德尔镇的“龙虾公司”，负责人斯蒂芬妮·纳多接受采访。新华社记者 王迎 摄
“今天有一单发去上海，明天还有一单要发往广州。”“龙虾公司”负责人斯蒂芬妮·纳多告诉新华社记者。
她说，春节向来是中国对美国龙虾的需求旺季，公司一般都要提前囤货，以满足中国市场的强劲需求，“经常让我感到惊讶的是，春节结束后，中国市场的高需求还会延续一段时间，而美国的假日经济通常没有持久的后续效应”。
1月24日，在美国缅因州阿伦德尔镇的“龙虾公司”，工人搬运装有龙虾的箱子。新华社记者 王迎 摄
深耕中国市场多年的纳多熟谙中国各地顾客的喜好。“北京和广州的顾客通常喜欢个头大一点的龙虾，上海顾客更青睐中等个头的。”
“龙虾公司”位于缅因州东南部阿伦德尔镇，自2009年开始对华出口，是美国最早进军中国市场的活龙虾批发商之一。
纳多说，1997年当她第一次前往北京参加一个海鲜水产展会时，中国顾客看到美国龙虾觉得很新奇，但尚未呈现出强烈的购买意愿。2009年，她的丈夫再次前往中国参展推介龙虾，收获两家“特别好的客户”，至今保持着良好合作关系。
1月24日，在美国缅因州阿伦德尔镇的“龙虾公司”，工人将准备发货的龙虾装箱。新华社记者 王迎 摄
纳多说，中国消费市场拥有巨大潜力，对美国龙虾的需求在过去十几年中迅猛增长。在该公司整体业务中，对华出口业务曾一度占比60%，为了满足中国订单，“我们得24小时营业，员工三班倒才行”。
她说，新冠疫情给龙虾供应链和运输带来不小挑战，“但我们还是在中国做了不少生意”。去年，“龙虾公司”向中国销售龙虾1300多吨。
1月24日，在美国缅因州阿伦德尔镇的“龙虾公司”，工人给龙虾称重。新华社记者 王迎 摄
相关贸易数据显示，2020年在新冠疫情导致美国龙虾出口整体下滑的情况下，美国龙虾对华出口呈现反弹势头；2021年1月至11月，美国龙虾对华出口量超过6000吨，同比增长约6%。
纳多说，今年来自中国的订单依然很多，不仅有春节红利，还有冬奥会商机。
1月24日，工人在美国缅因州阿伦德尔镇的“龙虾公司”分拣龙虾。新华社记者 王迎 摄
龙虾业是缅因州一大支柱产业，缅因龙虾约占美国龙虾总销量的80%到85%，而中国是其主要海外市场之一。
有42年龙虾捕捞经验的缅因渔民比尔·科珀史密斯在冬天仍坚持着每周两次出海的习惯。他说，“中国对我们的龙虾感兴趣是一件很棒的事”，也希望能有更多的缅因龙虾销往中国，“出口越多，我们渔民的收入也越多”。
缅因州的合作社“缅因龙虾联盟”联络主管弗吉尼娅·奥尔森告诉记者，该合作社非常重视中国市场尤其是春节商机，从圣诞节后就一直在忙着为中国春节备货。合作社是虾农自助组织，负责把渔船捕捞的龙虾集中出售给大经销商。
1月25日，在美国缅因州波特兰一处码头，渔民比尔·科珀史密斯检查捕捞龙虾用的笼子。新华社记者 王迎 摄
“我们非常希望能把握住中国春节的节日红利，顺利将龙虾运往中国，我们也很珍视中国客户的反馈，”奥尔森说，“我们期待能跟中国伙伴建立更加密切的合作关系。”
“我的很多渔具都是中国制造，很高兴我们能提供中国人喜欢的产品，这是一种良性互动和双赢。”科珀史密斯说。