冻品攻略

China's 2025 Imported Hairtail Market: Iran and Indonesia Dominate

Source: 冻品攻略2026-02-09 08:000 views0 comments

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2025 China Hairtail Product Import Data Analysis Report

2025 China Hairtail Product Export Data Analysis ReportAccording to customs import detail data, China's cumulative imports of hairtail products in 2025 were about 148,100 tonnes, with an import value of about USD 306 million, and a full-year weighted average price of about USD 2.06/kg. From the market landscape, the import side shows clear characteristics of "large volume, frozen products dominant, highly concentrated sources," among which Iran and Indonesia constitute the most core supply sources and are the key variables determining the full-year import rhythm and the cost center.

From the product structure, China's hairtail imports in 2025 were almost entirely determined by frozen products. Frozen hairtail imports for the full year were about 141,700 tonnes, accounting for about 95.7% of total imports, with a corresponding average price of about USD 2.03/kg. In comparison, fresh or chilled hairtail imports were only about 6,400 tonnes, accounting for about 4.3%, but the average price was noticeably higher (about USD 2.80/kg), corresponding more to specific channels, specifications or higher-quality demand. Overall, China's imported hairtail still mainly serves stable supply to the processing and distribution ends, and the price system is closer to raw material market logic.

In terms of source countries, the "Iran + Indonesia" dominant pattern is very clear. In 2025, China imported about 45,100 tonnes of hairtail from Iran (about 30.5%), and about 38,600 tonnes from Indonesia (about 26.1%), with the two combined accounting for about 56.6%. This means that any change in the fishing season, vessel schedule adjustments, port customs clearance, or fluctuations in exchange rates and settlement conditions on either side could have an amplified effect on domestic阶段性 supply and prices. Looking further, Malaysia, Oman, Thailand and others also constitute important supplementary sources, but their overall shares are noticeably lower than the top two, highlighting the market's high concentration.

On the price band, different source countries also show differentiated tiers: some Middle Eastern sources (such as Oman) have higher unit values, more likely related to specifications, quality or supply structure; while some Southeast Asian sources have relatively lower prices and can play a role of "supplementing volume + controlling cost" at specific stages. For domestic procurement, this price stratification means that during periods of tight supply or rising costs, there is still some room for operation through source diversification and structural adjustment, but the premise is that alternative sources can provide sufficiently stable supply capacity and specification matching.

From the intra-year rhythm, 2025 imports showed fairly typical restocking cycle characteristics: the second half of the year, especially year-end, saw obvious volume expansion, with prices rising simultaneously. The import volume trough appeared in August, with the high point concentrated in December; the average price was relatively low in October, while the year-end rebound was more obvious. This is usually related to inventory cycles, procurement rhythm, port arrival arrangements and changes in the structure of low-price/high-price supply, and also suggests that the procurement window before the peak season and vessel schedule locking are more critical for enterprises.

Overall, the core conclusions of China's imported hairtail market in 2025 can be summarized as: frozen hairtail determines market volume, Iran and Indonesia determine the supply landscape. Against the background of high concentration, the industry needs to pay more attention to the supply stability of the two major source countries, and reduce the impact of supply fluctuations on costs and delivery through means such as front-loading procurement rhythm, optimizing source structure and locking volume in key months. At the same time, if the unit value and product structure of imported hairtail are to be improved, further attention also needs to be paid to the absorption capacity of fresh/chilled and higher-specification products in specific channels, providing more stable value-added space beyond "volume-driven imports."