Last April Peruvian fish exports generated USD 173.1 million in revenue, representing 17.5 per cent less than in the same month in 2013, when its value was USD 209.8 million.
Meanwhile, the exported volume declined by 10.9 per cent, to 91,800 tonnes compared to 103,000 tonnes shipped a year earlier.
These decreases were primarily due to lower sales of fishmeal and fish oil, the Ministry of Production (PRODUCE) reported.
According to the latest Statistical Bulletin prepared by PRODUCE, in April 2014 42,500 tonnes of fishmeal were exported, representing 19.3 per cent less than in the same month last year (52,600 tonnes).
With respect to the value, in the fourth month of this year fishmeal was exported for USD 63.3 million, 34.6 per cent less than in April 2013, when the figure reached USD 96.7 million.
The main markets for Peruvian fishmeal were China, Germany, Chile and Japan.
April exports increased sales of fishmeal abroad in the first four-month period to USD 584.5 million, 87.3 per cent more than in the first four months of 2013 (USD 312.1 million).
Meanwhile, crude oil exports totalled 4,900 tonnes last April and were sent mostly to Chile, Denmark, Belgium and Japan.
In that month, shipments of oil generated USD 11 million, 0.9 per cent more than in April 2013 (USD 10.9 million).
Throughout the first four months oil was sold abroad for USD 135.2 million, an amount that represents a rise of 104.8 per cent over the same period in 2013 (USD 66 million).
In April 2014 about 34,800 tonnes of frozen products were also exported.
In the first four months of 2014, shipments of frozen products were sent mainly to China, Thailand, United States, Spain and South Korea.
On the other hand, in the fourth month of 2014 a total of 1,800 tonnes of canned goods was sold abroad, a volume representing a decline of 33.4 per cent from 2,700 tonnes exported a year earlier.
The destinations of these products were Colombia, Panama and Germany.
April’s exports raise the total volume of fish products sold abroad to 676,000 tonnes in the first four-month period of this year, representing an increase of 83.6 per cent compared with 368,200 tonnes exported in the same period of 2013.
The value of shipments for the first four months reached USD 1,201.3 million, 61.1 per cent more than in the same four-month period last year, when USD 745.5 million was obtained.