Chilean mussels continue to impact European markets
There are signs that Chile's fast growing rope mussel industry is impacting not only on European processed mussel markets but also, indirectly, on its live markets. In the space of four to five years, Chile has become the top processed mussel supplier to France, Italy and Spain. Exports from Chile are mainly in frozen meat form, a product which is generally repacked or further processed by the domestic European industry. Chilean, and to a lesser extent New Zealand, supplies to the processing industry in Spain appear to be stimulating Spanish rope mussel producers to focus more on live markets, whether domestic or export. The Spanish share of French live mussel imports increased from around a quarter in 2006 to almost 30% in 2007 while the share in Italy has risen from 54 to 62%. These increases have come in a mixed trading context last year with French imports stable but Italian imports lower compared to 2006.

Drop in French live mussel imports
While Belgium remains Europe's top mussel market in per capita terms, France is the number one market in overall volume terms at import level. Total French imports, traditionally dominated by live product, have been stable at around 60 000 tonnes in recent years. For 2006, live mussels accounted for 75% of total imports, the balance consisting of frozen and marinated products.

Preliminary indications for 2007 point to a continuation of the stability in overall volume terms but a shift from live to processed imports. For the January – November period, the live share dropped to less than 70% following weaker live supplies from Ireland (-24%), Italy (-28%) and Greece (-32%). Each of these countries supplied around 4 000 tonnes during 2007, compared to between 5 and 6 000 tonnes for the first eleven months of 2006. Among the major suppliers, Spain was the only country to increase live supplies to France, volumes rising by 8% to 11 000 tonnes. This increase helped to consolidate Spain's position as top supplier to the French live market, a position it shared with the Netherlands in 2006. In contrast, Dutch supplies were largely stable in 2007 at just over 10 000 tonnes.

The drop in French live imports last year contrasts with a 29% jump in processed imports. While this increase was shared by all the major supplying countries (Spain excepted), by far the strongest increases were registered for two non EU countries, Chile (+79%) and New Zealand (+51%). The Chilean increase means that this country's share of French processed mussel imports doubled from 22% to 44% over the 2005 – 2007 period. While volumes from traditional suppliers to the French market (Denmark, Netherlands, Ireland) increased last year, the share of imports for these countries decreased.

Weak import trend in Italy

Italian annual mussel imports fluctuated around the
30 – 40 000 tonne range over the 2004 – 2006 period. Volumes increased by 26% in 2006 following a 29% drop in 2005. Figures for the January – October period point to a return to the downward trend in 2007, total volumes falling 14% on the same period in 2006.

As in France, live product accounts for the greater share of imports, 70% in 2006. Live supplies are dominated by just two countries, Spain and Greece, and initial indications suggest that volumes from both declined last year. A 42% drop in Greek supplies over the first ten months, in line with the Greek decline in France, points to weaker rope mussel production in the Greek industry during 2007. Although imports from Spain fell 8% between January and October, this decline follows a strong increase (+12%) the previous year. Despite the volume decrease, the Spanish share of Italian live imports jumped from 54 to 62% over the 2006 – 2007 period.

The 2007 trend in Italian processed mussel imports was more stable than that of France with a slight decline evident last year. Chile, however, continues to increase its share of imports in both countries. For the January – October period, Chile's share jumped from 40 to 47%, a similar level to that in France. Processed imports from Spain also increased, +7%, to just under 2 000 tonnes for the ten month period. These increases were not enough, however, to balance a sharp drop in imports from Turkey, Denmark and the Netherlands.

Chilean effect in European markets to continue
It is too early yet to judge the final Chilean impact on European mussel markets. Production forecasts for Chile point to continued strong growth with output expected to double by 2010 from an estimated 125 000 tonnes in 2006. In the meantime, Spanish live mussel suppliers continue to develop export markets. Certified rope mussels from Galicia are being promoted this month in a major French hypermarket chain at €3/kg.

Report prepared by Gerry O'Sullivan
© FAO GLOBEFISH 2008