The European Seafood Exposition is the largest and most important industry event, worldwide, for the global trade of fish and shellfish products. The European Union is the largest consumer of the region’s fish and shellfish exports. France, Spain and Italy are the largest country markets. MAP-funded coordination of industry participation at this event enables Food Export USA-Northeast to both position and magnify the northeastern U.S. as a major source of quality seafood products supplied by companies that are seriously committed to foreign market development.
In less than thirty days, and seven months ahead of show time, Food Export USA-Northeast filled its pavilion at the upcoming 2007 European Seafood Exposition (April 24-26, 2007 in Brussels, Belgium). Due to increased MAP funding and unprecedented industry interest in next year's event, Food Export USA - Northeast has expanded its pavilion by 25% in size. Floor space is growing from 224m2 to 298m2. Growth is limited only by the confines of available floor space from the show organizer and a waiting list of companies already exists should additional space become available.
Seafood suppliers who participated in the 2006 event achieved more than $107 million in sales during the three-day show and they project nearly $192 million in additional sales growth. The 2006 show also generated 323 buyer-seller introductions, resulted in 53 new distributor relationships established, obtained 2 new-to-program participants, and yielded 6 first-time export sales to a new market. Coupled by the strong export sales generated at this show and our ability to increase our pavilion space, the number of registered U.S. seafood participation in 2007 grew by 36%.
While northeastern seafood exports are currently benefiting from a weak dollar, it is also apparent that buyers recognize the region's strong commitment and follow-through as consistent and reliable suppliers of high quality products. Other important contributing factors include successful sustainable resource management and, the fact that as producer/exporters, the companies of the northeast can easily provide full product traceability - often back to specific vessels and specific harvesting areas.
The northeastern U.S. seafood industry depends on MAP generic program cost-share assistance to supplement its own investment of resources into critical foreign market development. While seafood production, and exports, from the region are significant, the individual firms that comprise the industry are typically small, and often family-owned, businesses that individually lack sufficient capital and personnel to promote their products to foreign markets.
The northeastern U.S. is becoming increasingly recognized as a major source of quality products that are harvested from sustainable fisheries (and, uniquely, in some fisheries from growing supplies) through fully traceable production. The combination of a weak dollar and increasing buyer emphasis on sourcing seafood from sustainable fisheries is producing a winning recipe for the northeastern U.S. seafood industry and the region's economy. |
