Republic of Korea overtakes the United States in crab imports

World crab imports were stable at about 92 000 tonnes in the first quarter of 2026, but more of the trade moved towards Asia. China took roughly 37 percent of global imports, and the Republic of Korea moved ahead of the United States of America to become the second-largest destination after US purchases fell by 10 percent.

Canadian snow crab exports were low during the quarter because sea ice and price disputes delayed the start of the fishing season. Canada normally sends more than 90 percent of its snow crab to the United States, and shipments are expected to recover as landings accelerate. In the meantime, Indonesia became the leading crab supplier to the US market, mainly with pasteurized blue swimming crab meat for the foodservice sector.

With Russian snow crab excluded from the United States, most shipments go to China and the Republic of Korea. Global snow crab harvests could approach 150 000 tonnes in 2026, led by Canada at about 90 000 tonnes and the Russian Federation at more than 50 000 tonnes. King crab is much tighter: Norway cut its quota by 44 percent, and Russian live king crab continues to move into Asia. Ample snow crab supply has therefore done little to ease the shortage of king crab in the United States, where prices remain exceptionally high.