Peru’s fish exports will revive later this year despite an uncertain start and irrespective of the global economy, Humberto Speziani Cuevas, the president of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Committee of the Exporters Association (ADEX) has told the Andina newsagency.
Fishing sector exports amounted to US$ 341.3 million in the first two months of this year down 21% on last year’s figure in the same period, ADEX reported.
The waning of the euro against the dollar and the economic downturn contributed to the decline, Mr Speziani Cuevas said, with some orders being postponed or cancelled outright. However he anticipates that in the second half of this year exports of traditional products will increase, led by fishmeal which is the most important product in this sub-sector.
Fishmeal exports totalled US$1.4 billion dollars during 2008, up 16.9 per cent compared to 2007, according to the Peru’s Central Reserve Bank (BCR). This was due to an increase in export volumes, up 24.3%, but partially offset by a decrease in average export price which declined 5.9%. In the first two months of this year its exports were valued at US$208.3million, according to ADEX.
Peru's fish exports last year totalled 2.25 million metric tons and were worth US$2.4 billion dollars, according to the Ministry of Production.
China, Taiwan, Japan, Spain, Germany, the United States, Canada, France, Belgium, and Denmark were the key markets to which traditional and non-traditional fish and shellfish were exported, with India, Sri Lanka, Kuwait, Jordan, and Ghana being considered emerging markets. Of these, Japan looks set to become a more important market with a Free Trade Agreement between the two countries looming said the Peruvian-Japanese Business Council (Cepeja).
