International

Markets

Bureau

MARKET INDICATOR REPORT | MARCH 2010

Inside Mexico

Seafood Trade

TRADE SUMMARY

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

PAGE 2

CANADIAN PERFORMANCE

Inside Mexico Seafood Trade

By the Numbers 3

Competitive Landscape

4

Market Opportunities

4

Mexico is a large market and an important trading partner of the

Canadian economy. In 2008, the population of Mexico was more than

three times the population of Canada. Mexico is Canada’s fourth-largest

export market, attracting over 3.6% of Canada’s agri-food and seafood

export products.

In the fish and seafood market, Mexico’s world market share has increased

every year since 2003. Mexico’s 2008 imports totaled US $567M, an

increase of 10.7% from 2007. The top suppliers to Mexico were: China

(21.5%), the United States (U.S.) (16.4%), Vietnam (11.1%), Chile(8.1%)

and Thailand (7.2%). Mexico is supplied with seafood by 89 countries.

Mexico’s main fish and seafood imports include: frozen fillets of trout,

salmon, hake and others ($176M), prepared tuna ($53.7M), prepared

shrimp and prawns ($48.4M), frozen shrimp and prawns ($46M), and

frozen skipjack tuna ($39.5M).

In 2008, Mexico exported just over $749M fish and seafood products.

Most of Mexico’s seafood exports were frozen shrimp and prawns

($366M), other fresh fish ($45.6M), rock lobster and other sea crawfish

($40.64M), and frozen, yellowfin tuna ($25M). Top export destinations

include the U.S. (78.1%), Japan (5.9%), Spain (3.8%) and Hong Kong

(3.5%). Although Mexico is a net exporter of fish and seafood, it still

imports those species whose local production is insufficient to meet

demand.

Canada currently stands 16th as a supplier of fish and seafood to Mexico, with sales of $8.4M in 2008 (based on Mexican import data). This represents a decline of 24.01% from 2007. This can largely be attributed to a decrease in imports of the following Canadian products: spider crabs (-87.9%), dried, salted fish (-71.7%), prepared molluscs (-70.5%), and prepared shrimp and prawns (-52.3%).

Over the past five years, Mexico has been an inconsistent importer of Canadian fish and seafood. Canadian exports to Mexico have ranged from $14.2M in 2005, to $8.4M in 2008.

Canada’s top fish and seafood exports to Mexico in 2008 were: prepared shrimp and prawns ($2.2M), frozen fillets of nishin, tara, buri, saba, iwashi and aj ($1.1M), prepared sardines ($1.2M) and fresh lobster ($1.0M).

THE INCREASE IN

CRUSTACEAN IMPORTS

BETWEEN 2007 AND 2008

WAS 26%.

“

”

PAGE 3

BY THE NUMBERS

Mexican Fish and Seafood Imports World

(US $Million) Top Supplier

Total 567.3 China

Frozen fish fillets 176 Vietnam

Frozen shrimp and prawns 46.1 China

Frozen skipjack tuna 39.5 South Korea

Other frozen fish 23.9 China

Shrimp and prawns, not frozen 23 Guatemala

Frozen yellowfin tuna 17 South Korea

Frozen dogfish 10 Costa Rica

Top Mexican Seafood Import Changes

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COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE — TOP SEAFOOD SUPPLIERS TO MEXICO

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

PAGE 4

There are opportunities to export frozen crustaceans

to Mexico, particularly in tourist centers such as Can-

cun, Puerto Vallarta and Acapulco, where there is

demand for these high-end products at resorts.

Frozen fish fillets including, trout, salmon, hake and

others are very popular in Mexico.

Frozen rock lobster and sea crawfish imports have

experienced a sudden increase and became a million

dollar industry in 2008. Mexico imported 13.8% of all

imports of these species from Canada, in this market

for the first time.

Yellowfin tuna imports grew by $14M in 2008. These fish are found in Canadian waters along the edge of the Gulf

Stream and Georges Bank, the Scotian Shelf and the Grand Banks throughout the year.

Canadian prepared shrimp and prawn exports have the potential to grow as imports in Mexico are growing. Canada

is currently the fourth leading supplier to Mexico.

Mexican imports of frozen shrimp and prawns grew from US $29M to US $46M between 2007 and 2008. Canada

has not tapped into this market since 2006.

Frozen fish fillets: US $55M

Prepared shrimps and prawns: US $24M

Frozen fillets of nishin, tara, buri, sawa: US $18.1M

Frozen shrimp and prawns: US $8.8M

Prepared squid and cuttle fish: US $4.2M

Prepared tuna: US $3.7M

Frozen fish fillets: US $23M

Prepared fish: US $19M

Prepared shrimp and prawns: US $15M

Live ornamental fish: US $6.2M

Frozen skipjack tuna: US $5.6M

Frozen fillets of nishin, tara, buri, sawa: US $2.4M

Frozen fish fillets: US $56M

Frozen shrimp and prawns: US $1.6M

Prepared tuna: US $4.7M

Other prepared fish: US $0.1M

Prepared shrimp and prawns: US $0.1M

Prepared molluscs: US $0.08M

Frozen trout or salmon fillets: US $31M

Fresh fish fillets and fish meat: US $5.5M

Smoked salmon: US $2.6M

Prepared squid and cuttlefish: US $1.6M

Prepared salmon: US $0.7M

Fresh pacific salmon: US $0.7M

Chinese Exports to Mexico in 2008 American Exports to Mexico in 2008

Vietnamese Exports to Mexico in 2008 Chilean Exports to Mexico in 2008

Inside Mexico Seafood Trade © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, 2010 ISSN 1920-6615 Market Indicator Report AAFC No. 11182E Photo Credits All Photographs reproduced in this publication are used by permission of the rights holders. All images, unless otherwise noted, are copyright Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada.

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Aussi disponible en français sous le titre : Le commerce des fruits de la mer au Mexique

The Government of Canada has prepared this report based on primary and secondary sources of information. Although every effort has been made to ensure that the information is accurate, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada assumes no liability for any actions taken based on the information contained herein.