Week 50: Squid prices hit new lows! High supply from the Southeast Pacific, market "destocking" still ongoing

At the Zhejiang Agricultural Center, the trading volume of southeast Pacific squid has significantly reduced, with only a small number of transactions in the special small original and small original specifications, and the average settlement price dropped to 13,908.87 yuan/ton, marking a new low for the year. The price of carcass products fell by about 2,000 yuan/ton compared to the previous period, and the price of sliced products fell by about 1,500 yuan/ton. Industry insiders pointed out that the market is currently in an active "inventory reduction" phase, with traders lowering prices to speed up the return of funds, but limited end-processing orders and insufficient demand support make short-term rebound momentum weak. In terms of production, Peru's catch remains high. According to the Peruvian Ministry of Production (PRODUCE), as of December 5, the landed volume of giant squid reached 30,543 tons, completing 78.6% of the supplementary quota. The catch specifications in some fishing areas are concentrated above 12 kilograms, with sufficient resource supply. In the high seas, the average daily output per ship remains between 3–8 tons, further increasing market supply pressure. Meanwhile, the price of Peruvian equatorial squid at the Weihai International Marine Commodities Exchange weakened in tandem, and the price of Argentine squid was slightly reduced. The market situation in the southwest Atlantic, Indian Ocean, and northwest Pacific regions remained stable, with limited transactions. The new Argentine fishing season is expected to officially start on January 2, 2026, and some vessels have already arrived in the fishing area, potentially altering supply expectations for early next year. Market observers believe that the squid market in the 50th week continues the pattern of "strong supply and weak demand," with prices reaching a new low. Although some companies expect temporary support from year-end holiday preparations, the overall market is still in an inventory reduction cycle, with limited short-term rebound space. Looking ahead to early 2026, if the new fishing season starts and supply is released again, but consumer demand does not show significant recovery, squid prices may continue to oscillate in a low range. In the current market situation, analysts advise processing enterprises and traders to maintain a cautious operational pace, reasonably control inventory and procurement rhythm, and closely monitor the pace of the new fishing season in 2026 and changes in terminal consumption to prevent operational risks caused by price fluctuations.