Buyers in Europe have high inventories of Alaska pollock and US fishing companies -- which are out catching their Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)-certified fish in the A-season at the moment – have high stock levels, sources told IntraFish.
“I believe US sellers have a lot of stock on their hands which makes them put pressure on price,” said Dmitry Fedotov, founder of Superocean, a Hong Kong based supplier with access to around 80,000 metric tons of Alaska pollock in Russia.
“Rumors are that they are offering Alaska pollock blocks at $3,150 (€2,355) per metric ton,” he told IntraFish.
A buyer at a large European processing firm said he had also seen this price level. “I have heard that, but it depends on the selling terms and the quality,” he said.
$3,200 (€2,393) is a more realist level for frozen-at-sea pollock from the US, while some of the land-frozen pollock from the US is down at $3,150 (€2,355), he said.
However, neither executive feels the price will drop below $3,000 (€2,243).
A European trader is more bullish.
“I have not heard of $3,100 (€2,318) -- I think the general price is around $3,300 (€2,468) to $3,400 (€2,542) at the moment but sales are sporadic,” he told IntraFish. “I think lots of buyers are holding back until Boston seafood show to see if prices are going up or down.”
It will be “interesting to see where we land,” he said.
Russian prices down
Prices for headed and gutted (H&G) pollock from Russian to China are also down at $1,350 (€1,010), said Fedotov.
“Buyers in China are saying that they have lots of stock, but companies are still buying,” he said. “I have sold roughly 3,600 metric tons of H&G pollock into Chinese plants over the last week and a half.”
The Chinese message of high stocks could be a message in the lead up to Boston, in order to drive down US prices and compete on prices, he said. “Maybe the Chinese are playing the game in the lead up to Boston, which promises to be very interesting.”
Frank Zhou, an executive with Chinese processor Ocean One Enterprise, said prices have fallen further, to the $1,300 (€972.1) level.
“Demand is very low from the EU and the United States, especially EU,” he said. “Chinese plants here have big inventories. Many have to stop processing, since their cold storages are full with finished
products. Not many plants want to buy pollock now.”
The weak euro is also a factor, which means costs for EU customers are almost 10 percent higher, he said.
“Single frozen pollock products are sold at low prices, very close to twice frozen, which has caused many customers turn to buy single frozen instead.”
Price fall normal
It is normal that the prices fall this time of year, said Daniel Lin, an executive who has set up his own company, Ocean Kingdom Seafood, to supply wild-caught frozen at sea fish to the processing industry and wholesalers.
“It’s normal that the price falls from $1670 (€1,249) to $1350 (€1,010) per metric ton -- for H&G, 25+ centimeters -- from January to February, every year this thing happens,” he said.
“Unlike cod or other high-value species -- bought as spot against customer orders -- pollock is a species processing plants can buy in advance and corner as inventory,” he said.
Most Chinese processing plants buy pollock to a set plan, said Lin.
This involves buying 70 percent of annual demand in February to April, because there is a catch of around 100,000 metric tons in the Sea of Okhotsk.
Then, they buy the rest of the demand in November up to January, before the Chinese New Year festival. “Therefore, in January and February, there is very little trading. That causes the price falls dramatically.”
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Nearly US$1.7 billion is the projected gap in 2029 between the baseline scenario and a scenario in which Vietnam’s seafood exports grow by 10% annually, according to calculations by VASEP to be presented at Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026. This gap raises a key question for the entire industry: Which markets, products and supply chain improvements will generate the additional growth?
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Although Germany’s tuna imports have declined, Vietnam’s tuna exports to the market continue to show positive signs. Notably, export value recovered strongly in Q3/2026, and German import data also show Vietnamese products strengthening their position amid competition among suppliers.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood exports are holding double-digit growth, but the opportunities are not spread evenly across product groups and markets. As businesses draw up their plans for 2027, Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS2026) offers a chance to look ahead together: what to sell, where to sell it, and how to prepare for growth in the coming years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) With less than two weeks to go, the Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026) will officially take place in Can Tho. Under the theme “Seafood Market Outlook 2027–2029 – Opportunities and Potential for Double-Digit Export Growth,” the Summit is organized by VASEP at a time when seafood businesses are facing rapid market shifts, changing buyer demand, trade policy changes and growing competitive pressure all at once.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On October 28, 2026, the China Fisheries & Seafood Expo opened in Qingdao, China. The expo takes place over three days from October 28 to 30, 2026. This is a prestigious specialized seafood exhibition organized annually by Sea Fare Exposition Inc.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first nine months of 2026, Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the CPTPP bloc reached $7 million, marking a 51% year-on-year increase. The bloc rstands as the fourth-largest market for Vietnamese tilapia, trailing Brazil, the US, and Saudi Arabia.
(vasep.com.vn) VASEP has officially announced the program for Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026), featuring five in-depth sessions covering industry outlooks, trade barriers, buyer demand, the domestic market, and solutions to improve productivity and reduce costs across the seafood value chain.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached US$3.7 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 11% year on year. Although growth has been supported by China and several markets within the CPTPP, momentum is slowing as exports to the United States and the European Union decline. Tariff pressures, international competition, and raw material challenges are creating significant hurdles for exporters in the final months of the year.
(vasep.com.vn) Markets are changing faster, buyer requirements are becoming more demanding, and trade barriers are growing increasingly complex. In this environment, seafood businesses need more than an understanding of current market conditions. They need a longer-term perspective to answer a critical question: Where will growth opportunities come from in 2027–2029, and what should businesses do now to prepare? This is one of the key reasons why VASEP is organizing Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East reached US$113 million, up 7% year on year from the same period in 2025. Growth has become more pronounced in recent months. In August alone, exports to the region totaled US$20 million, an increase of 24%. This indicates that demand for Vietnamese pangasius in the Middle East is gradually recovering after a slowdown in March, although the pace of recovery varies across markets.
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