(fis.com) Fishery and aquaculture product exports from Chile amounted to USD 2,813 million in the first seven months of 2012. This represents an increase of 6.6 per cent over the same period of 2011, when USD 2,640 million had been obtained.
The volume of exports between January and July 2012 also rose: It experienced an increase of 18.2 per cent, changing from 652,520 -- in 2011 -- to 771,170 tonnes this year, the Undersecretariat of Fisheries and Aquaculture (Subpesca) reported.
This rise was mainly due to higher shipments of chilled and frozen fresh products, which accounted for 42.2 per cent and 23.5 per cent of the total, respectively, as it can be seen in the latest Subpesca Fisheries and Aquaculture Sector Report.
According to Subpesca statistics, the main export was the Atlantic salmon, which accounted for 29.2 per cent of total sales abroad. It was followed by the rainbow trout and the Pacific salmon, among others.
Chilean products were destined for 102 countries, of which the nine major concentrated 81.4 per cent of total exports. Among them are Japan, US, China, Brazil and Spain.
With respect to the primary sector, the accumulated value of fish exports (389,000 tonnes) between January and July 2012 reached USD 761.7 million, reflecting a positive variation of 1.5 per cent compared with the same period a year before.
In the first seven months, 193,000 tonnes of fishmeal were sold abroad for USD 251.2 million, while a year earlier 178,660 tonnes worth USD 279.5 million had been exported.
The most important destinations of fishmeal were China, Japan and Germany. Of the total fishmeal exported, 56.8 per cent had prime quality, 24.2 per cent had super prime quality and 17.4 per cent had standard quality.
Sales of frozen seafood products abroad totalled USD 338 million, which accounts for an increase of 13.2 per cent over the same period of 2011.
These products were shipped mainly to Nigeria, United States and Japan, with shares in value for 26.6 per cent, 16.6 per cent and 11.5 per cent, respectively.
As for canned products, the sales performed in the first seven months of 2012 totalled USD 44.4 million, 18.4 per cent lower than a year earlier.
The main markets were Spain, Singapore and Hong Kong, with shares of 23.5 per cent, 20.5 per cent and 11.8 per cent, respectively.
Aquaculture sector exports accounted for 72.9 per cent of the total value of sales abroad and 49.5 per cent of total exports between January and July this year, with USD 2,052 million and about 382,000 tonnes.