Shrimp Exports to China to Hike: Iranian Official

Iran expects its shrimp exports to China to jump in the months left before the end of the calendar year to March. Head of Iran Fisheries Organization Hossein Hosseini said on Sunday that Iran will ramp up shrimp exports to China once prices in the East Asian country improve.

Hosseini said China had purchased more than 32,000 metric tons (mt) of shrimp from Iran in the calendar year to March, adding that the figure had accounted for more than 56% of Iran’s total shrimp output over the period. “We hope shrimp exports to China could experience a significant rise in the current (calendar) year,” he was quoted as saying by the ILNA news agency.

The official said other customers of Iranian shrimp shipments in the current calendar year included Russia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Oman. He said Iran plans to increase its annual shrimp exports to 160,000 mt by 2025, adding that output had topped 68,000 mt in the eight months to late November.

Iran has been encouraging increased exports of food and farming products in recent years in a bid to diversify its economy away from crude revenues. Experts say the policy has clearly paid off as exports have helped Iran offset the impacts of US sanctions targeting its oil exports. - Press TV