New Shipments Of Deep-sea Squid Have Arrived in Large Numbers, Causing Prices For Whole Squid To Fall Across The Board

In the 31st week of 2026 (July 24th to July 30th), the price of deep-sea squid at the Zhejiang Agricultural Products Center remained stable to slightly weaker, with price adjustments concentrated on whole squid from the Southeast Pacific. Prices for large, medium, small, and tiny squid all fell, while prices for other sizes remained unchanged from the previous week. During the same period, prices for Peruvian equatorial squid of various sizes at the Weihai International Marine Commodity Exchange also declined to varying degrees, but the price of Argentine squid at the exchange only fell slightly, with a relatively limited decline.

Recently, catches from the Southeast Pacific have been arriving in ports in large quantities, significantly increasing the available supply in the market. The rate of inventory depletion has not kept pace with the increase in supply, putting pressure on prices for some sizes. In the 31st week, the Zhejiang Agricultural Products Center saw 3,270 tons of Southeast Pacific squid traded online, with transactions concentrated on whole squid, reflecting traders' willingness to accept goods at current prices but a wait-and-see attitude towards future trends.

The overall price of Southwest Atlantic squid (outside the fishing line) remained unchanged from the previous week in week 31, with online transactions totaling 140 tons, a slight decrease in transaction volume compared to the previous period. The overall prices of Northwest Pacific and Indian Ocean squid also remained unchanged from the previous week, with sluggish market activity and traders primarily purchasing on an as-needed basis. The Southwest Atlantic high seas squid fishing season has ended, and current circulating supplies mainly consist of previous inventory and Argentine in-line catches, with limited further increases expected.

Regarding Argentina, approximately 168,100 tons of squid were exported in the first half of 2026, a year-on-year increase of 0.4%, with an export value of approximately US$467 million, a year-on-year decrease of 0.3%. Squid remains the country's highest-value and highest-volume exported seafood product. The slight increase in export volume but slight decrease in export value reflects a decline in average price. During the same period, the unloading volume of seafood at the Port of Madeline increased to approximately 124,800 tons, an increase of 46,300 tons compared to the same period last year. The concentrated arrival of squid at the beginning of the year was a significant factor driving business growth, consolidating its position as Argentina's second-largest fishing port. The squid fishing season has ended ahead of schedule this year, and the amount of raw materials available for export will gradually decrease, putting pressure on Argentina's squid exports in the second half of the year.

In Peru, on July 29th, the Peruvian Marine Research Institute (IMARPE) concluded its biological and marine monitoring of the Paita-Chicama-Chimbote-Huacho waters, focusing on changes in sea surface temperature, water masses, and fishery resources under the El Niño background. This monitoring covered the main fishing grounds in central and northern Peru, and the results of the squid-specific assessment have not yet been released. The deadline for installing the Satellite Monitoring System (SISESAT) on 10-20 cubic meter hand-held fishing vessels expired on July 31st. Vessels that have not installed it by the deadline will be unable to operate at sea, and Peru will further tighten its supervision of the squid fishing fleet's operational routes and fishing activities. Peruvian squid fishing is currently suspended, and the results of IMARPE's biological and marine monitoring and the implementation of SISESATS will jointly influence the timeline for subsequent resource assessments and fishing arrangements.

On the high seas, the average daily catch per vessel last week was approximately 3 to 5 tons, an improvement from the previous period. According to incomplete statistics, since December 2025, the average catch per vessel on the high seas has been approximately 800 tons. Based on current production levels, the remaining production contribution during the remaining operating window is relatively limited.

In the 31st week, the volume of domestically caught squid entering Zhoushan Port decreased significantly compared to the previous week. This contraction in imports contrasts with the concentrated arrival of new cargoes from the Southeast Pacific, indicating that the domestic market is undergoing a transition period between digesting previous arrivals and a shift in supply rhythm.