Japan's nuke crisis boosts Chinese aquatic product export

BEIJING - China's aquatic product exports rose significantly in March, as Japan's nuclear leak crisis prompted consumers to look for other sources, official data showed on Thursday.Exports of shellfish, shrimp and other aquatic products jumped to $1.28 billion in March, up 63.8 percent from the same period last year, the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) said.Exports in the first quarter increased 35 percent year-on-year to 905,500 tonnes worth $3.61 billion, an increase of 36.3 percent.Japan's demand for imported aquatic products surged after the nuclear crisis dealt a heavy blow to its fishing industry. Consumers in Europe and the United States also turned to China for uncontaminated products, MOA said.In March, China's exports climbed 46.8 percent and 42.5 percent in Japan and the US, respectively. Exports to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) soared the most at 165.6 percent.The MOA estimates exports will maintain steady growth in 2011.Despite the surge, the ministry said the aquatic product trade faces huge challenges as the global economy is not stable, and the pressures of environmental issues and rising labor costs have intensified.

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