🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates imports of frozen fish: 2024 trade data
In 2024, the United Arab Emirates imported frozen fish worth $131.5 million (70.4 thousand tonnes). The value was almost unchanged from 2023. Over 2017-2024 the trade grew strongly, by about 9% a year on average.
Public statistics, latest reported year 2024. Values in US dollars.
Imports of frozen fish by year, 2017-2024
Hover or tap a year for detail.
Year by year
| Year | Value | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $131.5M | 70.4K t |
| 2023 | $130.3M | 58.5K t |
| 2022 | $109.9M | 54.1K t |
| 2021 | $94.4M | 56.7K t |
| 2020 | $101.4M | 55.1K t |
| 2019 | $99.7M | 48.8K t |
| 2018 | $89.0M | 47.5K t |
| 2017 | $72.0M | 32.2K t |
Where the United Arab Emirates imports frozen fish from
Most of the value came from Myanmar (20%), Spain (14%), Thailand (13%). Trade is spread widely: the top three suppliers together make up only 46%. Among the main suppliers, Thailand grew fastest (+335% on the year before).
| Supplier country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 🇲🇲 Myanmar | $26.7M | 20% |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | $17.8M | 14% |
| 🇹🇭 Thailand | $16.6M | 13% |
| 🇳🇴 Norway | $16.4M | 13% |
| 🇮🇳 India | $11.9M | 9.1% |
| 🇺🇸 United States | $6.3M | 4.8% |
| 🇨🇳 China | $6.1M | 4.6% |
| 🇨🇱 Chile | $5.1M | 3.9% |
| Taiwan | $4.9M | 3.7% |
| 🇵🇰 Pakistan | $3.7M | 2.8% |
Types of frozen fish under HS 0303
| 0303.89 | Fish: frozen, n.e.c. in heading 0303, excluding fillets, fish meat of 0304, and edible fish offal of subheadings 0303.91 to 0303.99 | 28% |
| 0303.43 | Fish: frozen, skipjack or stripe-bellied bonito, excluding fillets, fish meat of 0304, and edible fish offal of subheadings 0303.91 to 0303.99 | 19% |
| 0303.13 | Fish: frozen, Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and Danube salmon (Hucho hucho), excluding fillets, fish meat of 0304, and edible fish offal of… | 13% |
| 0303.25 | Fish: frozen, carp (as specified by the WCO), excluding fillets, fish meat of 0304, and edible fish offal of subheadings 0303.91 to 0303.99 | 8.2% |
| 0303.24 | Fish: frozen, catfish (Pangasius spp., Silurus spp., Clarias spp., Ictalurus spp.), excluding fillets, fish meat of 0304, and edible fish offal of… | 3.8% |
| 0303.12 | Fish: frozen, Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha/keta/tschawytscha/ kisutch/masou/rhodurus) other than sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka)… | 3.5% |
| 0303.54 | Fish: frozen, mackerel (Scomber scombrus, Scomber australasicus, Scomber japonicus), excluding fillets, fish meat of 0304, and edible fish offal of… | 3.5% |
| 0303.42 | Fish: frozen, yellowfin tunas (Thunnus albacares), excluding fillets, fish meat of 0304, and edible fish offal of subheadings 0303.91 to 0303.99 | 3.3% |
Codes and full descriptions: HS heading 0303.
Average import price of frozen fish
The average declared value was about $1.87 per kg, close to the world average of $2.06.
Declared value divided by weight, all 2024 shipments. Prices per shipment and per company are in EximDataX.
The United Arab Emirates also exports frozen fish
In 2024, the United Arab Emirates exported frozen fish worth $18.0 million (11.2 thousand tonnes). Most of it went to Benin (28%), Malaysia (19%), Qatar (12%). Among the main buyer markets, Benin grew fastest (+449% on the year before).
| Destination | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 🇧🇯 Benin | $5.0M | 28% |
| 🇲🇾 Malaysia | $3.5M | 19% |
| 🇶🇦 Qatar | $2.3M | 13% |
| 🇰🇼 Kuwait | $2.1M | 12% |
| 🇲🇿 Mozambique | $983K | 5.5% |
| 🇲🇻 Maldives | $873K | 4.8% |
| 🇧🇭 Bahrain | $663K | 3.7% |
| 🇰🇷 South Korea | $619K | 3.4% |
| 🇪🇬 Egypt | $459K | 2.5% |
| 🇳🇬 Nigeria | $368K | 2% |
Who is behind these numbers in the United Arab Emirates?
Public statistics stop at country totals and the last published year. EximDataX shows the shipment records underneath: the companies, dates, quantities and declared values, updated weekly.
Shipment records are in the platform
Tell us what you trade and we will show you the latest records on a live call.
Mirror data: built from the shipment records of the countries that trade with it.
Updated weekly on EximDataX (some markets daily), while public statistics stop at 2024.
Source: CEPII BACI (reconciled UN Comtrade data), HS 2017 edition, release 202601, Etalab Open Licence 2.0. Annual values in US dollars at the customs border; quantities in tonnes where reported. HS 0303: Fish; frozen, excluding fish fillets and other fish meat of heading 0304.
Frozen fish trade in the United Arab Emirates: questions
What is the value of frozen fish imported by the United Arab Emirates?
The United Arab Emirates imported frozen fish worth $131.5 million in 2024 (70.4 thousand tonnes).
Where does the United Arab Emirates import frozen fish from?
The main supplier countries in 2024 were Myanmar (20%), Spain (14%), Thailand (13%).
What is the average import price of frozen fish in the United Arab Emirates?
The average declared import value was about $1.87 per kg in 2024, against a world average of $2.06 per kg.
Does the United Arab Emirates export frozen fish?
Yes. The United Arab Emirates exported frozen fish worth $18.0 million in 2024, mainly to Benin, Malaysia, Qatar.
What is the HS code for frozen fish?
Frozen fish falls under HS heading 0303 (Fish; frozen, excluding fish fillets and other fish meat of heading 0304). The six-digit codes under it split the product by type.
How can I find the companies trading frozen fish with the United Arab Emirates?
These public statistics stop at country level. EximDataX builds the United Arab Emirates trade from the records of its trading partners, updated weekly, so you can see who ships this product there.
Frozen fish trade in other countries
More trade data for the United Arab Emirates
See what your buyers are buying.Then decide.
Everything we show you comes from official customs filings — records, not claims. 30 minutes. Your shipment. Your HS code. Real platform. If you don’t see something new about your market by the end of the call, we walk away. No follow-ups.