By Louis Harkell | Sep 3, 8:23 AM GMT
Major Chinese shrimp importers continue to source exclusively from international suppliers, citing demand for consistent quality that domestic producers can’t provide, according to a leading buyer at the Global Shrimp Forum.
Louis Zhou, CEO of Huaxin Food Group, told attendees his company has not purchased any shrimp from local Chinese producers.
“We never bought any shrimp from local producers yet,” Zhou said. “For our customers, they require imported shrimp.”
China’s foodservice sector has expanded rapidly and requires reliable supply across specific size grades, something domestic producers cannot deliver.
“With imported shrimp, they can upgrade from 30-40 [count per kilogram shrimp] and 20-30 and still get enough supply,” Zhou explained.
However, in general, Chinese consumers are agnostic about shrimp origin —
“They don’t really care where it comes from. It just has to be good quality, cost-effective and safe,” he said.
Despite rapid expansion of China’s greenhouse shrimp farming, domestic production shouldn’t compete directly with imports even in the near term either.
“Eventually it [domestic production] might come into competition [with imports]. But in the next 1–3 years? I don’t think it’s possible,” Zhou said.
“So there are still good opportunities for Ecuador and Indian exporters.”