Seafood Import

In recent years, China has exported large quantities of frozen tilapia to the African market at affordable prices and high quality, earning the trust of local consumers. Africa is a major export destination for Chinese tilapia. According to statistics from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, in 2021, African countries imported 83,000 tons of frozen tilapia and tilapia fillets from China, accounting for 64% of China’s total frozen tilapia exports that year. In terms of export value, in 2021, China exported tilapia worth $38.7 million (approximately 244 million RMB) to Côte d'Ivoire, and the total export value of tilapia to Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Togo that same year was $14.7 million (approximately 92.51 million RMB), $4.8 million (approximately 30.20 million RMB), and $4.0 million (approximately 25.17 million RMB) respectively.

 

Reports indicate that fish is a common dish on the tables of African people. However, there has long been a significant gap between the demand for edible fish and local production in Africa, especially in West Africa. For example, Côte d'Ivoire has an annual market demand for edible fish of approximately 3.2 million tons, of which only 1.1 million tons are produced locally, while the remaining 2.1 million tons are entirely dependent on imports. Similarly, Ghana has an annual market demand for edible fish of about 1 million tons, of which only 400,000 tons are sourced locally. In Senegal, the per capita consumption of edible fish is about 24.5 kilograms per year. Due to overfishing by large foreign vessels in the country’s aquaculture farms, fish catches have significantly declined, resulting in a heavy reliance on foreign imports for edible fish.

 

The frozen tilapia imported from China is affordable and of high quality, making it highly popular and best-selling among African consumers. Additionally, the export of Chinese tilapia is also driving the development of the edible fish market in Africa, filling the local market gap and improving the living standards of the local population.

 

IPF is committed to providing high-quality frozen tilapia and delivering professional and superior services to its customers.