US canned tuna imports fall

摘要

According to data from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), canned tuna imports in the US were down by one-quarter in 2012 to 20.7 million cases.The statistics confirm a three-year trend, which has seen imports decline by 30 percent overall, from almost 30m cases in 2010, with each case representing 48 5oz cans.Consumer demand has been weak because of increasing prices and continued negative publicity concerning mercury and tuna, says industry body Globefish, which is part of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations."Sluggish demand for canned tuna continues in the US market," said Globefish in a market report. "Under the current economic conditions consumers are reluctant to accept higher canned tuna prices, while supermarkets are unable to promote the product as a low-priced item as they could in the past.