Raw materials for pollock are in high demand, PBO fish slices from the U.S. and Russia are sold out, and double-frozen products from China have become the market's only option.

According to UCN statistics, the price for raw materials of 25 cm+ specifications is at $1,700 per ton, and Chinese processing factories are still purchasing. For the overseas market, all of Russia's and the U.S.'s PBO one-time frozen products in B season have been sold out, making China's two-time frozen products the only option on the market.

From historical data, the current price of pollock is almost reaching the highest point in 20 years. In 2008, the price of pollock raw materials once rose to over $1,800 per ton, after which international demand began to collapse, and combined with the impact of the global financial crisis, the pollock market experienced a rather long period of downturn.

Usually, with the increase in production from the Sea of Okhotsk, prices tend to drop towards the end of the year. However, the situation this year is quite special, and the price drop from the end of 2025 to 2026 may not be as significant as in previous years. For the raw material market in the first quarter of 2026, Russian suppliers are offering at $1,500 per ton (for large-volume contracts), while Chinese processing factories can only accept $1,400 per ton. Even if calculated as a compromise, at $1,450 per ton, it is still about 13% higher than the first quarter of this year. Overall, Chinese processing factories must once again raise the price of two-time frozen products to maintain basic operations.

In October, the FOB average price for pollock two-time frozen blocks was $3,250 per ton (excluding 13.7% tariff), the price for Russian PBO was $3,500 per ton (excluding tax), and the price for U.S. PBO was $3,900 per ton.