Exports of fishery products and aquaculture in Chile reached a value of USD 4,793.3 million until November 2013. This represents an increase of 15.1 per cent over the same period in 2012, when USD 4,164.9 million were obtained.
The volume exported also experienced an increase of 1.6 per cent, from 1,144,376 tonnes in 2012 to 1,163,177 tonnes last year, the Undersecretariat of Fisheries and Aquaculture (Subpesca) informed.
Sales of frozen products and fishmeal were the most voluminous, representing 52.7 per cent and 19 per cent of the total, respectively, according to the latest Report on Fisheries and Aquaculture by Subpesca.
Following come the refrigerated fresh products (13.1 per cent) and dried algae (6.5 per cent), among others.
According to Subpesca statistics, Atlantic salmon was the main exported product, which accounted for 43.4 per cent of total export value. It was followed by rainbow trout and Pacific salmon.
Chilean products were destined for 109 countries, of which the nine major ones accounted for 77.6 per cent of total exports. The United States, Japan, Brazil, China and Russia stand out among them.
With respect to the catching sector, the accumulated value of fish exports reached to USD 1,215 billion between January and November 2013, reflecting a positive variation of 3.5 per cent compared to the same period last year.
In the first 11 months, 221,162 tonnes of fishmeal were sold abroad for USD 390 million, while a year earlier 275,000 tonnes worth USD 380 million had been exported. The most important destinations of fishmeal were China, Japan and Spain.
Sales of frozen seafood products totalled USD 537.1 million, which represented an increase of 1.1 per cent over the same period in 2012. These products went mainly to Japan, the U.S. and Nigeria.
As for canned products, sales in the first 11 months of 2013 totalled USD 73.3 million, 9.5 per cent lower than a year earlier. The main markets were Venezuela, Spain and Sri Lanka.
The aquaculture sector exports accounted for 74.6 per cent of the total value of foreign sales and 56.2 per cent of the total volume exported between January and November last year, with USD 3,577 million and about 653,500 tonnes.