Every primary importer of pasteurized crab meat in the United States has been eagerly awaiting this moment. The market is no longer saturated with inexpensive fresh Venezuelan crab meat, and pasteurized dealers have been counting on offloading much of their overpriced inventory while Venezuela is in conservation mode.
Admittedly, not much crab meat is being produced in Southeast Asia currently. However, prices have skyrocketed over the past six months. When this “window of opportunity” shuts at the end of October—with the expected resumption of production in Venezuela—we anticipate that pasteurized prices will decline and continue to do so throughout the winter. Nearly every other segment of the seafood industry has either returned to or is approaching pre-pandemic pricing. The crab meat market is not exempt from this trend.
9/13/23
