Customs stats show Japan’s imports of frozen shrimp for the first seven months of 2015 decreased 4 percent to 74,000 metric tons. However, product from Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and India saw an increase of 13 percent, 6 percent, 7 percent and 14 percent in volume, respectively.
Imports of processed/cooked shrimp products were around 59,000 metric tons in 2014, down 18 percent from the previous year and the second straight year decline after year-on-year growth over the previous four years.
Major items in the category are sushi toppings, with Thailand making up the largest supply share. However, with higher purchasing costs, Japanese traders have been struggling with selling to end consumers.
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