French canned tuna imports increased by 11% in the 12 months up to the end of September this year, with the strongest increases from Ecuador and the Ivory Coast.
This was despite an 11% increase in average import prices over the period, show the latest trade figures from FranceAgrimer.
Import volumes were up from nearly all origins, with the strongest increases (20% and 24%) from Ivory Coast and Ecuador.
Ghana and Thailand the two notable exceptions. Imports from Ghana were down 13%, while supplies from Thailand were down 2%.
Ghana has experienced difficulties into exporting into the European Union in the past year, due to increased restrictions and checks by customs, as part of the EU’s crackdown on supplies from suspected illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) sources. In September, a Ghanaian exporter said it had lost more than $5 million as a result of trade difficulties, which have been described as a ban by Ghanaian media.
A chart from FranceAgrimer (copied below) shows import prices into France have been consistently above €4 per kilo since March 2012, and above €4.50/kg since November 2012, dropping perhaps only to just below €4.50/kg in August this year.
Import volumes peaked in April-May, when they exceeded 12,500 metric tons per month.
These were the trends from the main supplying countries, according to FranceAgrimer:
§ Spain: + 5 % in volume ; avg price + 14 %
§ Seychelles : + 2 % in volume ; avg price + 10 %
§ Ivory Coast : + 20 % in volume ; avg price + 15 %
§ Ecuador: + 24 % in volume ; avg price + 9 %
§ Ghana : - 13 % in volume ; avg price + 8 %
§ Thailand : - 2 % in volume ; avg price - 3 %