Japan’s shrimp imports have plummeted to their lowest levels since 2012. The Japanese Ministry of Finance recently released preliminary trade statistics, revealing a steep decline in the volume of imported shrimp throughout 2023.

Overview of the Shrimp Import Decline

In 2023, Japan’s total shrimp import volume, which includes frozen and processed shrimp products, experienced an 11% decrease compared to the previous year, falling to just 198,206 tons. This marks a worrisome trend as it represents the lowest shrimp import volume in over a decade.

The decline was particularly pronounced in the frozen shrimp category, with imports plummeting by 10% in 2023, amounting to 138,122 tons. Processed shrimp imports also suffered a significant setback, witnessing a 12% decrease to 60,084 tons in 2023.

Cold-water shrimp imports dipped by 11% to 8,013 tons, while warm water shrimp, including whiteleg and black tiger shrimp, decreased by 10% to 130,109 tons.

Warm Water Shrimp Exceptions

India and Ecuador were the exceptions among warm water shrimp suppliers, as they managed to increase their imports by 2% and 7%, respectively. In contrast, Indonesia and Vietnam saw decreases of 7% and 15%, with import volumes of 23,909 tons and 23,136 tons, respectively.

Cold-water shrimp imports from Argentina, primarily red shrimp, suffered a sharp decline of 20%, reaching 13,237 tons – the lowest level since 2012. On the other hand, cold-water shrimp imports from Russia increased by 1% to 1,661 tons, while Greenland experienced a 3% increase to reach 2,112 tons. Unfortunately, Canada’s shrimp imports to Japan dropped by 25% to 2,792 tons.

The decrease in processed shrimp imports impacted major suppliers such as Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia, which saw their volumes decrease by 10%, 14%, and 23%, respectively.