Chinese fish maw imports are shifting from South America and Africa to Southeast Asia, with 70% of consumers under the age of 35!

Dried fish maw is a dried product of fish swim bladder, famous for its high content of gelatin.

At present, countries that allow the import of fish maw in China include Uganda, Iceland, Brazil, etc. These countries have abundant fish resources and mature processing technologies, which can meet the demand for high-quality carrageenan in the Chinese market. In addition, there are also some fish maw from countries such as Vietnam, which may come from various fish species, and the specific varieties and quality standards may vary depending on the place of origin.

Import situation of fish maw

The main import sources of Chinese fish maw include Uganda, Mexico, Iceland, Brazil and other countries. In 2023, the import volume of Chinese fish maw is about 29 tons, a year-on-year increase of 85.9%; The import value was 575,000 US dollars, a year-on-year decrease of 17.4%. Mexico used to be the main source of Chinese fish maw, but due to the extinction of certain endemic fish species and stricter regulations in Mexico, China has gradually shifted its focus to Southeast Asia, significantly increasing its purchases from Vietnam. In the seafood industry, basa fish gelatin was once considered a low value byproduct. Due to the complex processing, the price of basa fish fish maw is relatively high now.

Consumption pattern

The consumer group in China's fish maw market is becoming younger, with over 70% of consumers under the age of 35. With the increasing attention of consumers to health and nutrition, the demand for fish maw as a tonic is constantly growing. In 2021, the market size of Chinese fish maw was about 9 billion yuan, and it is expected to grow to 23.2 billion yuan by 2025.