Park, who organized the 12th annual Surimi Industry Forum and Surimi School in Astoria, Oregon, this week, said at the event he expects Korean surimi producers to approach the US market "more aggressively" now that the renegotiated US Korea free-trade agreement has taken effect.
Park told the audience, which consisted of about 115 seafood company representatives and researchers representing eight countries, that brands that are familiar to US consumers should dip their toes into surimi seafood.
"I wouldn't be surprised if someday (soon) we saw Starkist crabstick," he said of the Korea-based Dongwon-owned US tuna giant. "Right now, they are not doing business well."
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Jim Ianelli said the outlook for Alaska pollock, from which surimi can be made, is positive. "The Eastern Bering Sea pollock quota looks like it will be stable going forward," Ianelli said.
The challenges surimi producers must overcome, however, include predicting the success of the other commodities that affect surimi, either directly, such as sugar and phosphate rock, or indirectly, such as oil.
"Sugar has been very tight in the market," Canadian food manufacturer Pacific Blends' John Wells said. "There's always talk of sugar coming down, but it hasn't."
In addition, corn has has "recent (price) jumps due to other usages," like biofuel, and phosphate rock is "running up slowly but staying relatively stable" at $150 (€115.7) per ton. Oil has seen "increases over the past few years," as well, Wells concluded, saying the commodities all greatly affect surimi price and production.
Aker BioMarine Vice President Chris McReynolds spoke about the trends in Japan, easily the biggest consumer of surimi in the world, even despite the devastating tsunami in March 2011. The economy "recovered very quickly," he said and the yen continues to stay strong. "That leaves Japan in a very strong position when it comes to purchasing," McReynolds said.
Still, surimi consumption isn't as high as it used to be, even in Japan and, like Park, McReynolds suggested companies create "new products to help stop declined consumption."
(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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