Bulgaria: Fish and Seafood Market Brief
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Bulgarian fish and seafood importers are seeking to expand the variety of fish available locally, particularly among the mid- and high-value categories. According to U.S. Census Bureau bulk, intermediate, and consumer-oriented (BICO) trade data, 2019 U.S. fish exports to Bulgaria reached $322,000, a 22-percent decline from 2018. However, according to the Bulgarian National Statistical Institute (NSI), which measures trade data based on country of origin, and therefore captures U.S. trade routed through other European ports of entry, Bulgaria imported $554,656 of U.S. fish and seafood in 2019. This trade consisted mainly of frozen Chinook salmon, frozen mackerel, lobster, and chum salmon. Despite COVID-19's negative affect on Bulgaria's restaurant sector, restaurants are reemerging and will continue to be an important end user of fish and seafood in Bulgaria. Bulgaria’s per capita fish and seafood consumption is still below the EU average.