The Middle East conflict impacts China's seafood transportation! Following the price increase of salmon, more import and export links are being affected?

Some cargo flights from Europe to Asia have been canceled or rerouted, and cold chain goods originally transferred through hubs such as Doha, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi have begun to be stranded. Fresh salmon was the first to show changes, with prices in some domestic wholesale markets rising by 10-15 yuan/kg in a short period of time. The arrival rhythm is being disrupted. The common path for European salmon entering the Chinese market is to fly directly from the production site to a Gulf hub and then transfer to major Chinese cities. This model relies on high-frequency flights and stable connections. Once the transfer link is interrupted, the transportation cycle, which normally takes about 48 hours, is forced to extend. The goods need to wait for new cabin arrangements, the original delivery batches are split, and market supply changes from "continuous" to "intermittent." Frozen products are highly sensitive to time. Extended transportation means increased risk of spoilage and also means recalculating the import cost structure. Wholesale prices are adjusted first, becoming the most direct feedback in the market. Among imported seafood, European frozen products are most affected. Salmon from regions such as Norway, the Faroe Islands, and Scotland, some of which involve Gulf transfers, and high-end fish from northern Europe such as Iceland, are also affected. After the reduction in flights, capacity is concentrated on a few available routes, booking times are extended, and freight rates have room to rise. Meanwhile, the market is starting to compare transportation routes from other import sources. South American and Southeast Asian products are mainly transported by sea. Products such as Ecuadorian white shrimp, Indian frozen shrimp, Vietnamese basa fish, and Indonesian squid enter the market through regular sea routes from Asia to China, and the main routes are currently operating normally, with no significant abnormalities in port operations. The supply rhythm of these products is relatively stable in the short term. Some Russian products enter China by land or via direct flights from the Far East, Chilean salmon mostly flies directly or transfers through the Americas, and Canadian lobsters largely use a direct North American flight model, with a lower dependence on the Gulf airspace, and no significant transportation changes have appeared. In addition to air transport, attention is turning to the export side. China exports aquatic products to Middle Eastern countries, including frozen shrimp, tilapia, squid, and some processed products, with transportation routes involving Persian Gulf ports. If regional shipping insurance rates rise or shipping schedules are adjusted, delivery times will change. Some export contracts need to reconfirm loading dates and port cycles. The European direction depends on the operational status of the Red Sea route. If ships choose to detour, the voyage from Asia to Europe will be extended, increasing cold chain transportation time, and export companies will need to realign production rhythms with delivery windows. Orders originally executed according to fixed schedules may experience period adjustments. Energy price fluctuations are also beginning to enter cost calculations. Changes in fuel prices are usually transmitted to logistics quotes through air and sea freight surcharges. If oil prices remain high, air and ocean transportation costs will rise accordingly, affecting profit margins on both the import and export ends. Air transport capacity is shrinking, sea transport is waiting to see, and costs are changing. The fluctuation in salmon prices is the first part of the transportation structure change to manifest.