Dim Sums: Agricultural Markets in China

You probably missed China's latest exercise of food power involving shrimp from Ecuador. President Daniel Noboa went to China in August and was rewarded with restoration of 8 Ecuadorian shrimp exporters that China had suspended earlier. The events leading up to Noboa's visit outline an emerging pattern: China creates a large export market for a trading partner, sets novel approval procedures or standards to manage the flow of imports, and China rejects products or suspends exporters when Chinese leaders want to gain power over their trading partner.  China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs highlighted Ecuador President Neboa's visit to China  August 2026. Over the past decade shrimp quietly became Ecuador's top export after petroleum, and China accounted for about half of the South American country's shrimp exports in 2025. China's annual imports of shrimp from Ecuador exceeded $3 billion during 2022-25, up spectacularly from about $100,000 in 2017.  China custo...

More evidence that China's food export boom may have peaked. As the full cost of Chinese food products is factored in, prices are rising and demand is slowing. According to a session on aquaculture at the national agriculture work meeting held on Dec. 29 , the value of Chinese fish and shellfish exports rose during 2008 due to the rise in primary commodity prices, but the quantity fell. Fish and shellfish exports totaled 2.18 million metric tons in the first three quarters of 2008, down 0.9%, year on year. However, due to rising prices, the value of fish and shellfish exports was up 9.8%, exceeding 7 billion dollars. The value of exports is expected to exceed 10 billion dollars for the year. Aquaculture exports have slowed their breakneck pace of growth and company profits have fallen since the second half of 2007 due to a host of reasons: changing economic situation, food safety incidents, rising labor costs, tighter environmental controls, rising raw materials and energy costs, c...