Surimi supplier TransOcean saw its sales jump by 10.2 percent last year -- nearly double the 5.6 percent growth IRI data recorded for the $94 million US surimi indsutry, TransOcean Vice Presdient of Sales and Marketing Lou Shaheen told IntraFish.
That upward revenue trend may continue, but not for the reasons that producers like TransOcean would hope. Wholesale prices for surimi blocks are up 20 percent to 25 percent this year over last, Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers Program Director Pat Shanahan told IntraFish. European processors told a similar story to IntraFish in February.
“It will increase our costs by about half that,” Shaheen said. Surimi blocks make up about half of the end product, he explained. “So it’s a significant increase to any company, but we’ve seen larger increases than that in the past few years.” Shaheen said TransOcean, a subsidiary of global giant Maruha Nichiro, will try not to pass on costs to consumers.
“We will look at other avenues to reduce our costs so that we don’t have to pass them along,” he said. Contracts with retailers may make it difficult to pass on costs, he added.
Yet markets outside the United States could be willing to absorb higher prices, considering the high global demand for the surimi.
“The increased demand is due to a number of factors, including the tsunami last year in Japan, which destroyed some surimi inventory, and the lack of lower cost tropical surimi on the global market,” Shanahan said.
Southeast Asian fishermen who catch species used in surimi may not be fishing due to the high cost of fuel, she said.
“There is also growing demand for surimi seafood products in Europe and in developing markets such as India and China. In addition, large surimi producers and exporters, -- Thailand is a good example – are starting to consume an increasing share of their own production in the domestic market.”
However, whether Alaska surimi producers decide to tap into the higher demand for surimi is yet to be seen, considering pollock is also in high demand in fillet form, Shanahan said. Last year, pollock producers responded to a higher global demand by producing more surimi.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) A project titled "Sustainable Shrimp Industry Governance" has been launched in Ca Mau Province with the aim of supporting the transition of the province's shrimp industry toward higher quality, lower emissions, stronger governance capacity, improved supply chain traceability, and the development of a sustainable shrimp brand that meets the increasingly stringent requirements of export markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Khanh Hoa Provincial Agricultural Extension Center, in collaboration with the Northern Center for Marine Aquaculture Research and the Van Hung Public Service Center, recently organized a training course on disease-free golden pompano seed production. The program is part of a National Agricultural Extension Project aimed at developing industrial-scale seed production models to support sustainable marine aquaculture.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports have shown encouraging signs of recovery in 2026. In the first four months of the year, total export turnover reached USD 720 million, up 17% compared to the same period last year. This result reflects improving demand across many markets, as well as the efforts of Vietnamese pangasius enterprises to maintain production, secure orders, and adapt to changing market conditions.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The application of high technology in shrimp farming is delivering positive results in the coastal areas of Vinh Long Province, contributing to improved production efficiency and creating significant potential for further industry expansion. However, to fully capitalize on this potential, the province is focusing on aquaculture zoning, infrastructure investment, and promoting modern, sustainable production.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Đồng Tháp Province has intensified efforts to curb illegal fishing by strengthening vessel monitoring, law enforcement and seafood traceability.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood businesses need solutions to overcome bottlenecks such as labor shortages, difficulty accessing capital, high input costs, and administrative procedures in order to maintain production, adapt to market fluctuations, and effectively exploit export opportunities.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The FTA would widen access to markets with strong demand for premium food products in line with the country’s strategy of shifting exports towards increasing added value.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On the morning of July 13th, Mr. Ho Quoc Dung, Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam and Deputy Prime Minister, along with his delegation, visited and worked with businesses in An Giang province to promptly resolve obstacles and promote production and business activities.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) As importing markets increasingly focus on biosecurity and traceability, Vietnam has established a relatively comprehensive legal framework and disease management system for aquaculture, covering tilapia farming as well as other cultured species. This system is based on the Law on Animal Health, regulations on the prevention and control of aquatic animal diseases, the National Plan for the Prevention and Control of Major Diseases in Farmed Aquatic Species, and environmental monitoring and early warning programs for aquaculture areas.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On July 9, 2026, the Embassy of Vietnam in Brazil organized the seminar titled “Sharing Information on Vietnam-Brazil Economic, Trade and Investment Relations in the First Half of 2026” to provide updates on bilateral cooperation and strengthen connections among government agencies, industry associations, and business communities of the two countries.
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