Where agri-food import demand is recorded
Seafood, poultry, eggs and fruit imports into six Asian and Gulf buyer markets — with the controls a buyer must plan for.
In short
Japan and South Korea import large values of frozen fish and shrimp; Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Japan import over USD 1 billion of poultry meat each; Singapore's poultry and egg imports grew between 2019 and 2023. Figures are UN Comtrade world-total import values. They show demand that exists — not that we hold supply or buyers there. Importers and distributors in these markets can send a reviewed RFQ (USD 250,000+ programme value, free for buyers).
Japan
Typical buyer: Seafood importers, trading houses, processors and food-service distributors.
| Product | 2019 | 2023 | Change | Top origins 2023 (share) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frozen fish (HS 0303) | USD 3,062m | USD 2,729m | -11% | Chile 22%, USA 19%, Russia 15% |
| Shrimp & other crustaceans (HS 0306) | USD 2,298m | USD 1,800m | -22% | Russia 18%, India 16%, Viet Nam 15% |
| Poultry meat & offal (HS 0207) | USD 1,304m | USD 1,429m | +10% | Brazil 63%, Thailand 34%, USA 2% |
| Avocados, mangoes & similar (HS 0804) | USD 417m | USD 348m | -17% | Mexico 38%, Philippines 33%, Peru 11% |
Source data: HS 0303 2023 · HS 0306 2023 · HS 0207 2023 · HS 0804 2023. Retrieved 2026-10-19.
Controls to verify
- Poultry: exporting country and establishment must be eligible under MAFF animal-quarantine rules.
- Food-sanitation inspection under MHLW import notification; residue limits apply.
- Plant quarantine (MAFF) for fresh fruit — some origin/product combinations are prohibited.
Authorities: MAFF Animal Quarantine Service · MHLW imported foods
South Korea
Typical buyer: Seafood importers and processors, poultry processors, fruit wholesalers.
| Product | 2019 | 2023 | Change | Top origins 2023 (share) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frozen fish (HS 0303) | USD 1,294m | USD 1,242m | -4% | Russia 34%, China 17%, Norway 9% |
| Shrimp & other crustaceans (HS 0306) | USD 1,200m | USD 1,157m | -4% | Russia 40%, Viet Nam 19%, China 11% |
| Poultry meat & offal (HS 0207) | USD 293m | USD 525m | +79% | Brazil 81%, Thailand 15%, USA 1% |
| Avocados, mangoes & similar (HS 0804) | USD 165m | USD 220m | +33% | Philippines 30%, Peru 24%, Thailand 23% |
Source data: HS 0303 2023 · HS 0306 2023 · HS 0207 2023 · HS 0804 2023. Retrieved 2026-10-19.
Controls to verify
- MFDS overseas-establishment registration for imported foods.
- Animal and plant quarantine through APQA; poultry access depends on origin disease status.
Authorities: MFDS (food safety) · APQA (quarantine)
Singapore
Typical buyer: Importers, wholesalers, hotel/food-service distributors and retail groups.
| Product | 2019 | 2023 | Change | Top origins 2023 (share) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poultry meat & offal (HS 0207) | USD 259m | USD 354m | +37% | Brazil 74%, USA 8%, Thailand 6% |
| Birds' eggs in shell (HS 0407) | USD 147m | USD 224m | +52% | Malaysia 63%, Thailand 20%, Ukraine 7% |
| Shrimp & other crustaceans (HS 0306) | USD 201m | USD 215m | +7% | Malaysia 22%, Indonesia 13%, China 10% |
| Frozen fish (HS 0303) | USD 157m | USD 173m | +10% | Spain 14%, Namibia 9%, China 9% |
Source data: HS 0207 2023 · HS 0407 2023 · HS 0306 2023 · HS 0303 2023. Retrieved 2026-10-19.
Controls to verify
- SFA import licence and per-consignment permits; meat, eggs and seafood only from SFA-accredited sources/establishments.
Authorities: SFA — Singapore's food supply · SFA — import requirements
Saudi Arabia
Typical buyer: Frozen-poultry importers, wholesale distributors, retail and food-service groups.
| Product | 2019 | 2023 | Change | Top origins 2023 (share) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poultry meat & offal (HS 0207) | USD 1,320m | USD 1,260m | -5% | Brazil 67%, Ukraine 12%, France 10% |
| Citrus fruit (HS 0805) | USD 383m | USD 357m | -7% | Egypt 39%, South Africa 39%, Türkiye 5% |
| Birds' eggs in shell (HS 0407) | USD 75m | USD 127m | +69% | Netherlands 31%, Oman 21%, Jordan 19% |
| Frozen fish (HS 0303) | USD 76m | USD 102m | +34% | Myanmar 48%, Viet Nam 16%, Norway 8% |
Source data: HS 0207 2023 · HS 0805 2023 · HS 0407 2023 · HS 0303 2023. Retrieved 2026-10-19.
Controls to verify
- SFDA establishment registration and halal certification for meat and poultry.
- Domestic poultry output is expanding, so import demand is not assured to grow.
Authorities: SFDA (food)
United Arab Emirates
Typical buyer: Importers and re-exporters, distributors, retail and hospitality groups.
| Product | 2019 | 2023 | Change | Top origins 2023 (share) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poultry meat & offal (HS 0207) | USD 866m | USD 1,125m | +30% | Brazil 77%, Saudi Arabia 5%, USA 5% |
| Avocados, mangoes & similar (HS 0804) | USD 582m | USD 451m | -23% | Saudi Arabia 27%, Kenya 9%, Pakistan 7% |
| Citrus fruit (HS 0805) | USD 238m | USD 356m | +50% | South Africa 54%, Egypt 18%, Viet Nam 6% |
| Shrimp & other crustaceans (HS 0306) | USD 282m | USD 259m | -8% | India 48%, Ecuador 13%, Iran 10% |
Source data: HS 0207 2023 · HS 0804 2023 · HS 0805 2023 · HS 0306 2023. Retrieved 2026-10-19.
Controls to verify
- Halal certification for meat and poultry; product registration with the emirate food authority.
- Part of recorded imports is re-exported — import value is not the same as local consumption.
Authorities: MOCCAE (import of food)
Hong Kong
Typical buyer: Importers, re-exporters, wholesalers and food-service distributors.
| Product | 2019 | 2023 | Change | Top origins 2023 (share) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherries & stone fruit (HS 0809) — Includes cherries; fell sharply 2019→2023. | USD 1,222m | USD 753m | -38% | Chile 84%, USA 5%, Australia 5% |
| Poultry meat & offal (HS 0207) | USD 1,249m | USD 739m | -41% | China 67%, Brazil 13%, USA 8% |
| Shrimp & other crustaceans (HS 0306) | USD 645m | USD 709m | +10% | China 31%, Australia 17%, Viet Nam 12% |
| Birds' eggs in shell (HS 0407) | USD 226m | USD 304m | +35% | China 69%, Japan 19%, Thailand 4% |
Source data: HS 0809 2023 · HS 0207 2023 · HS 0306 2023 · HS 0407 2023. Retrieved 2026-10-19.
Controls to verify
- Centre for Food Safety import requirements; health certificates for meat, poultry and eggs.
- Large re-export share — confirm destination of goods before sizing a programme.
Authorities: Centre for Food Safety — import
What to put in your RFQ
- Product, species/variety, grade, size or count, and fresh, chilled or frozen form.
- Volume per shipment and per season or year; programme value (minimum USD 250,000).
- Acceptable origins, season window, destination port and Incoterms.
- Traceability, food-safety and halal or other certificates the destination requires.
- Cold-chain needs: temperature, pre-cooling, reefer and maximum transit time for perishables.
How a request works
- You send a structured request through our form.
- Our team reviews it; requests under USD 250,000 stay on file without supplier outreach.
- We approach suitable producers and exporters and collect documents.
- You receive comparable offers through us. Communication stays mediated by our team; identities are shared only with your approval.
Markets and products not listed
| Checked | Why not listed |
|---|---|
| Taiwan | Not a separate reporter in the UN Comtrade data we can access; we have not verified figures from Taiwan's own statistics, so it is not listed. |
| Japan & South Korea — table eggs and tomatoes | Recorded imports were USD 35 million or less per product in 2019 and 2023 — too small to present as an opportunity. |
| Saudi Arabia — shrimp | Imports fell from USD 112 million (2019) to USD 40 million (2023). |
Data limits
- Values are recorded imports in current USD; they are not domestic consumption, and they are not adjusted for inflation or re-exports.
- Domestic production is not shown; FAOSTAT and USDA FAS PSD need access we have not configured. Origin shares are by value and can include re-exports.
- No prices are given — trade values are not a price reference for a specific grade or contract.
Questions
Do you already have supply or buyers in these countries?
No such claim is made here. The figures show what each country recorded as imports. Supplier fit, eligibility and delivery are checked request by request.
Why are some products missing for a country?
We list only product–country pairs with material recorded imports. Low or declining pairs we checked are listed under ‘Markets and products not listed’.
Who are the main supplying countries?
Each table lists the top three origins by share of the latest year's recorded import value (UN Comtrade partner data). Some origins, such as Saudi Arabia into the UAE, may reflect re-exports rather than local production.
Is this legal or regulatory advice?
No. Import rules change and depend on product, origin and establishment. Confirm with the linked authority and your customs adviser.
Global B2B Group is a marketplace and intermediary, not a producer, importer or exporter of record. Buyers use the service free; suppliers and financiers may pay. Supplier eligibility, compliance, delivery and product quality must be verified for each deal; no supply, price or sale is guaranteed.