MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine seafood exports up 3.9% in value and 3% in volume in first half of 2014

Shrimp and squid exports from Argentina to the Far East have grown consistently

In the first half of this year, Argentina seafood exports totaled 778.8 million dollars with a slight increase of 30 million dollars, and 3.9% over the same period of 2013 (749.6 million), reported the Directorate of Fisheries Economics from the Fisheries and Aquaculture Under Secretariat.

The volume of exports reached 285,608 tons, 3% more than in the same period in 2013, when 277,389 tons were shipped abroad.

Exports to China grew 30% compared to those of the first half of 2013 and the region of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations +3 (Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar , China, South Korea and Japan) imported 58,485 tons of fish products for a total of 114.6 million dollars.

The Argentine Under Secretariat of Fisheries also highlighted the increase recorded for exports in recent years: the value increased from 1.1 million dollars in 2007 to 1.5 million in 2013, that is to say, 34.7% higher. In that period the increases in shrimp (Pleoticus muelleri) and squid (Illex argentinus) exports were highlighted.

In the case of shrimp, the value of its shipments abroad increased by 110% between 2007 and 2013, from 291.9 million to 615 million. Likewise squid exports grew by 104%, from 115.3m in 2007 to 235.4m in 2013. (FIS).-