China imported more than 17.8 million pounds of lobster from the U.S. in 2017, eclipsing the previous record of about 14 million pounds in 2016.
The Financial Post reported the value of the imports also surged, from $108.3 million in 2016 to $142.4 million last year, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
China has targeted dozens of U.S. products for new tariffs, but lobsters aren’t on the list.
More exports to Asia coupled with smaller catches could keep those prices up, Bill Bruns, operations manager with Lobster Company of Arundel,, a lobster exporter, told the Post. Maine’s lobster landings dropped 16% in 2017, from 2016’s 132.5 million pounds to 110.8 million pounds.
The volume of lobsters that China is taking from the U.S. shows interest is at an all-time high, John Sackton, a market analyst who publishes the SeafoodNews.com website, told the Post.
That growth is tied to China’s expanding middle class.
