Arrowtooth Flounder pricing in China continues it's downward trajectory as demand AND sales also continue to slump amidst heavy US imposed tariffs.

Processors in China indicated last week that raw materials pricing on Arrowtooth Flounder are currently around $1900 per metric tonne CFR China which translates to about $0.86 per pound USD.

Compare this to the beginning of the year where pricing was about 5 percent higher at $2000 per metric tonne (or $0.91 per pound USD).

Compare THAT to 2 years ago where raw materials pricing in China was up to $4000 per metric tonne when supply was short.

Processors in China AND in North America have confirm that demand has slowed considerably. In China, value-added ATF heading to the US are mainly fillets, and frills are getting exported to Japan.

In the US, domestic demand for Arrowtooth Flounder is low, which could mean good sales and marketing opportunites for buyers.

One domestic trending opportunity we are hearing this year is that ATF is being used for fish meal.

Now moving onto catch data.

Although the supply situation was short 2 years ago, catch data from the National Marine Fisheries Service actually show that 2018 and 2017 harvest levels were almost the same at 29 and 28 percent of the Total Allowable Catch.

Current harvest totals for 2019 are showing about 32,000 metric tonnes (or about 36 percent of the TAC) in the Bering Sea Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska.

Although current harvest totals are already higher than previous years, fleets have advised that most of the fishing efforts will actually happen from US Thanksgiving until December.

We will continue to monitor the market and fishing efforts into November and December so keep tuned in for further Arrowtooth Flounder updates on our program.

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