Photo: Union Forsea Corp.

Chilled Salmon Imports into South Korea Continue Sharp Decline

SOUTH KOREA
Tuesday, April 22, 2025, 08:00 (GMT + 9)

March sees 16% volume drop and 40% value decrease, extending a downward trend for Norwegian-dominated market.

South Korea's imports of chilled salmon continued their downward trajectory in March 2025, totaling 1,137 tons. This represents a significant 16% decrease compared to the 1,357 tons imported in the same month of 2024.

Data reveals a consistent trend, with cumulative chilled salmon imports from January to March 2025 reaching 3,217 tons, a 22.5% decline from the 4,154 tons recorded during the corresponding period in 2024. This volume accounted for approximately 1.4% of South Korea's total seafood import volume of 234,669 tons in the first quarter of 2025.

Norway remained the dominant supplier of chilled salmon, accounting for an overwhelming 99% of the total import volume (3,207 tons) by the end of March. Australia followed with a modest 6 tons, and Chile with just 4 tons.

Notably, there were variations in import unit prices depending on the country of origin. Norwegian salmon had an average import price of USD 14.41/kg, while Australian salmon was priced at USD 15.17/kg, and Chilean salmon at USD 12.25/kg.

The import value of chilled salmon in March 2025 experienced a substantial 40% decrease, reaching USD 11.71 million, down from USD 19.42 million in March 2024. Similarly, the cumulative import value from January to March fell by 26% to USD 46.35 million, compared to USD 62.74 million in the same period last year.

The overall average import price of chilled salmon was USD 14.41/kg, marking a 5% decrease from the previous year's average of USD 15.10/kg.

Given the continued decline in both the import volume and value of chilled salmon, a slight decrease in domestic distribution prices is anticipated in the near term.

Source : Union Forsea Corp.

editorial@seafood.media
www.seafood.media

Print