Japan finalizes price for American pollock surimi for season B, with increase lower than in Asia.

Multiple Alaska processors completed early agreements by the end of August, with other companies signing up by the end of September, marking the fourth consecutive round of increases since the A season of 2024. Some negotiations are still ongoing. A Tokyo importer stated, "U.S. manufacturers originally requested a uniform increase of 30 yen across all grades, but the Japanese market could not accept this, so the price increase was implemented by grade." Due to contracts being priced in yen, the profit margin for the U.S. side has been further compressed. Since June, the yen has appreciated by nearly 10% against the dollar, putting pressure on U.S. profits. An executive from an Alaska processor said, "Even with the price increase, profitability is still squeezed by both the exchange rate and shipping costs." Changes in Japan's import structure: Russian surimi share expands Japan remains the largest export destination for U.S. pollock surimi, but Russian supply is rapidly gaining ...