I. Who Likes Crabs?

Asian countries are among the world's largest producers, importers and consumers of crabs, largely because seafood is so common in the diets of local populations. Crab meat is an important part of the national cuisines of many Asian countries, and a large proportion of the products consumed in the region are relatively inexpensive varieties of crab, including those reared through aquaculture. As Asian economies become more prosperous, demand for quality products such as Russian-caught Kamchatka crabs is gradually increasing, making the region the most promising for future growth. The region is considered the most promising for further export increases.

Canada and the U.S. are important players in the global crab market due to their high production and export volumes. North America is also a major importer of crab due to the large proportion of high-income population in the region and the demand for crab meat, including more expensive varieties from abroad.

In European food culture, crab meat is considered a niche product and is mainly consumed on special occasions. Nevertheless, the high purchasing power of the local population ensures demand for this premium product. Spain and France account for the bulk of European consumption, and Norway is the main supplier of crab to the world market (including Kamchatka crab caught in the Barents Sea), with the highest production.

II. Global Crab Imports

In 2023, global crab imports amounted to 443,400 tons, valued at $5.5 billion. This represents an increase of 7.4% in volume and a decrease of 10.0% in value compared to 2022. Meanwhile, overall, world imports of these products grew by an average of 1.3% per annum in volume and 1.0% in value in 2018-2023.

Frozen crabs have dominated world imports of this product type - in 2023, they accounted for 47.8 percent (211,700 tons) of imports in volume and 37.5 percent ($2.1 billion) in value. Live, fresh or frozen crabs account for 37.1 percent (164,500 tons) of world imports in 2023 and 42.1 percent ($2.3 billion) of the value. In 2023, cooked or canned crab accounted for 13.9 percent (61.6 thousand tons) of the global purchase mix and 19.6 percent ($1.1 billion), while other crab accounted for 1.2 percent (55 thousand tons) and 0.8 percent ($45.9 million).

The largest crab importer by volume was the United States, which purchased 112,200 tons in 2023 (25.3 percent of world imports). By the end of the year, China (110,000 tons, or 24.8 percent of world imports) and South Korea (73,900 tons, or 16.7 percent) ranked second and third on the list of major crab purchasers. Thailand (4.3%) and Japan (3.9%) are also in the top five crab importers. Cumulatively, the top 10 buying countries account for 88.7% of global crab imports in 2023.

China (+37.2% or +298,000 tons) and the United States (+35.1% or +291,000 tons) saw the most significant growth in crab purchases from 2018-2023. Meanwhile, crab imports from Thailand (-19.8% or -47,000 tons), Japan (-20.4% or -44,000 tons), and South Korea (-5.0% or -39,000 tons) declined sharply over the same period.

The largest importer of crab by value in 2023 was the United States, which purchased about US$1.8 billion worth of crab products (31.9 percent of world imports). China (US$1.7 billion, or 30.4% of global imports) and the Republic of Korea (US$771.5 million, or 14.1%) also accounted for a significant share of imports. In addition, Japan (5.0%) and Canada (2.5%) are among the top five major importers of these products by value. Overall, the top 10 purchasing countries account for 92.2% of the value of global crab imports by the end of 2023.

The main contributors to the growth in the value of global crab imports over the 2018-2023 period are China (+63.6% or +$648.3 million), the United States (+5.9% or +$98.1 million), and South Korea (+6.5% or +$46.8 million). Meanwhile, imports of the product by Japan (-34.1% or -US$140.6 million) and Hong Kong (-25.4% or -US$45.2 million) both declined significantly over the same period.

iii. Global Crab Exports

In 2023, global crab exports amounted to 424 000 tons valued at $5.5 billion. Compared to 2022, the value increased by 6.4 percent in volume and decreased by 7.0 percent in value. global exports of these products increased by an average of 0.8 percent per year in volume and 0.4 percent per year in value over the 2018-2023 period.

Frozen crabs have consistently accounted for the majority of world crab exports - in 2023, they accounted for 51.7 percent (219,300 tons) of exports by volume and 40.6 percent ($2.2 billion) by value. At the end of the year, the share of live, fresh or frozen crab in total shipments was 35.2 percent (149,100 tons) and 39.0 percent ($2.1 billion) in value. In 2023, exports of cooked or canned crab account for 11.9 percent (50,600 tons) of the global total and 19.6 percent ($1.1 billion) in value. Shipments of other crab species account for 1.2 percent (50,000 tons) of global exports and 0.9 percent ($47.9 million) in value.

In 2023, the largest suppliers of crab to the world market by volume were Canada (86,500 tons, or 20.4 percent of world exports) and Russia (81,300 tons, or 19.2 percent). By the end of the year, China (11.1 percent), Indonesia (6.9 percent) and the United States (4.5 percent) were also among the top five exporters. Overall, the top 10 countries supplying crab to the global market in 2023 accounted for 79.4% of global exports of the product.

The most significant increases in crab supply from 2018-2023 are in Canada (+50.0% or +289,000 tons), Russia (+16.1% or +113,000 tons) and Pakistan (2.5 times or +105,000 tons). Meanwhile, China (-35.4% or -258,000 tons) and the U.K. (-31.2% or -52,000 tons) saw significant declines in exports of these products.

Russia ($1.6 billion or 28.7% of global export value), Canada ($1.1 billion or 20.5%) and China ($641.8 million or 11.7%) accounted for the largest share of the crab export value structure in 2023. Indonesia (8.2%) and South Korea (4.0%) are also among the largest exporters by the end of the year. Overall, the top 10 countries supplying crab to foreign markets account for 85.4% of global exports of the product in 2023.

Over the 2018-2023 period, crab exports increased significantly from Russia (+45.0% or +$488.5 million), Canada (+9.7% or +$99.4 million) and Norway (+62.9% or +$66.7 million). At the same time, exports of these products from China (-37.9% or $390.9 million) decreased significantly.

IV. Crab Import and Export Prices

The average import price of ready-to-eat or canned crab at the end of 2023 decreased by 19.5 percent compared with 2022 to $17,476 per ton. Among the major importing countries, the most expensive products were purchased by Germany (35.4 percent above the world average price), the United States (31.6 percent above), and Japan (12.7 percent above). The countries with the lowest purchase prices were Malaysia (97.3% below the world average price), the Philippines (88.3% below) and France (34.7% below).

The average export price of ready-to-eat or canned crab in 2023 is $21,240 per ton, a decrease of 1.5 percent from the 2022 level. The most expensive products among the major exporting countries are India (33.4 percent above the world average price), Mexico (19.1 percent above), and Indonesia (13.1 percent above). Shipments of cooked or canned crab were least expensive in the United States (56.2 percent below the world average price), South Korea (35.4 percent below), and Thailand (34.1 percent below).

At the end of 2023, the average import price for live, fresh, or frozen crab is 7.4 percent higher than in 2022, at $14,018 per ton. Among the major importing countries, the most expensive products were found in Hong Kong (49.7 percent above the world average price), the United States (43.3 percent above) and South Korea (26.9 percent above). The lowest purchase prices were in Thailand (77.2 percent below the world average price), Spain (65.4 percent below) and France (54.3 percent below).

The average export price of live, fresh or chilled crab in 2023 is $14,345 per ton, an increase of 12.4 percent from 2022 levels. Among the major exporting countries, the most expensive products were from Norway (2.8 times higher than the world average price), the Republic of Korea (2.4 times higher) and Russia (79.6 percent higher). The lowest prices were recorded for live, fresh or chilled crab supplies from Malaysia (80.2 percent below the world average price), Myanmar (71.9 percent below) and the Philippines (71.2 percent below).

The average import price of frozen crab at the end of 2023 is 31.0 percent lower than in 2022, reaching $9,701 per ton. Among the major importing countries, the most expensive products were purchased by Hong Kong (54.2 percent above the world average price), Denmark (29.6 percent above) and the United States (28.5 percent above). The lowest prices were purchased by Thailand (72.3 percent below the world average price), Malaysia (64.2 percent below) and Taiwan (59.3 percent below).

The average export price of frozen crab in 2023 is $10,171 per ton, down 29.4 percent from 2022. Among the largest exporting countries, the most expensive products were supplied by Chile (89.9 percent above the global average price), Norway (47.8 percent above) and the United States (44.6 percent above). Frozen crab is supplied at the lowest prices by Pakistan (74.7 per cent below the world average price), Tunisia (61.7 per cent below) and Myanmar (37.5 per cent below).

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