In 2013, canned tuna imports into the US fell to seven year lows. From June to November 2013, the amount of canned tuna shipped into the US has hit lower levels than imports of the last six years. Currently, no December import figures are available yet for comparison.
November 2013 witnessed the lowest canned tuna imports for the United States that year, with volume falling to a low of 1,210,646 cartons (48x5oz). Compared to 2012, this was a modest drop from that year’s import for November of 1,384,572 cartons of canned tuna.
The drop has been ongoing from June to November 2013, with imports falling continuously. Initially January, the month of the single duty quota, showed promising results for 2013, and displayed a six year peak in imports for that month. Also imports in February, March, April and May still showed hope for the year; but the amount of canned tuna shipped into the US began to drop at the close of the first half of last year.
As usual, January shows significantly higher figures than other months, due to the US single duty quota, with import tax on canned tuna in brine at six percent rather than 12.5 percent at this time of the year. This quota is filled within the first day of the year.
The United States is the largest canned tuna importing nation in the world, with a total volume of 23,542,756 cartons entering its borders in 2012. January to November volume for 2013 has totaled just over 21.9 million cartons. If the 2013 import trend shows a continuation from November, this year’s US canned tuna imports are likely to show a drop from last year.
In October 2013, atuna.com published that there had been a considerable 7.7 percent drop in US consumption of canned tuna from 2011 to 2012. According to NOAA’s Fisheries of the United States 2012 report, a 0.2 pound (90.6 gram) drop in per capita consumption of canned tuna had been identified across the American population. This trend was coupled with an 18 percent decrease in US imports of canned tuna from 2011 to 2012.
Continuing declines in imports of canned tuna into the United States in 2013 could indicate that consumption in the country is suffering an ongoing fall.