An Open Reference for the Fishmeal Trade

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fishmeal.org / Origins / China

Origins · O3

China

The market that prices everyone else's fishmeal.

China sits at the far end of every trade flow in this commodity: it is by far the largest importer, taking roughly 40 percent of the global share, with consumption averaging 1.38 MMT over five years.[1] Aquaculture — carp, tilapia, shrimp, increasingly marine species — and the feed industry behind it set the demand floor that Peruvian and Chilean supply negotiates against.

Anchor figures — ~40% of global fishmeal imports; five-year average consumption 1.38 MMT.[1]
Domestic production and the import gap

China produces fishmeal at home as well — much of it from processing by-products rather than whole industrial fish — but domestic output covers only part of consumption, and the gap is the trade's centre of gravity. Port-side inspection culture follows: protein, TVN and histamine are checked on arrival, and specification disputes at Chinese ports are where grade labels earn or lose their meaning.

What the buyer watches

A Chinese purchasing desk reads this site's other chapters in a particular order: Peru's seasons for supply risk, grades for what the contract promises, specifications for what the port will measure. That is the perspective the whole chain prices against.

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Sources
  1. FAO GLOBFISH news: 2024 fishmeal exports bounce back, China dominates — www.fao.org/in-action/globefish/news-events/news/news-detail/2024-fishme (accessed 2026-10-24)
  2. USDA FAS GAIN report: China's Fish Meal Sector — apps.fas.usda.gov/newgainapi/api/Report/DownloadReportByFileName?fileNam (accessed 2026-10-24)