🐟 〔Article〕 Selling Japanese Farmed Yellowtail in the U.S.

Released March 2026

Free Article

This article (PDF) introduces Seafood Imports Inc., a company that has long imported farmed Japanese yellowtail and sells it in the United States. It is available for free download.

📌 Recommended for producers and exporters of Seriola species (including yellowtail, greater amberjack, and kingfish) worldwide, as well as foodservice professionals in the United States interested in Japanese farmed yellowtail products

The company’s overview is as follows.

Company Overview

Seafood Imports Inc. (President: Michael Berkowitz) is a seafood importing company based in San Diego, California, U.S. It has built trading relationships with leading Japanese companies.

The company’s annual sales over the past five years have generally ranged between $10 million and $15 million, with imported products accounting for about 95% of total sales.

The company was founded by Berkowitz in 1997. Initially, it imported whole fish from South Africa, but later shifted procurement to Southeast Asia and began handling raw tuna products and other fish. While currently Indonesia remains the top overall supplier, Japanese products have grown to represent a significant and premium segment of their products.

Seafood Imports began handling Japanese seafood around 2006, after Berkowitz visited Japan on a Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) tour. Starting with farmed yellowtail from Ehime, it expanded its product range to sea bream, Suzuki (Japanese Seabass), octopus, scallops, and more.

It also anticipates growing demand for Japanese tuna, farmed salmon, sushi components, salmon roe, seaweed salad, and high-value marinated fish products (for example, miso-marinated salmon). The company also handles many kosher-certified products, indicating compliance with Jewish dietary laws.

For more than 20 years, the company has specialized in sales to wholesalers and the foodservice industry. Retail sales account for at most 5% of total revenue. Sales are concentrated in the U.S., especially on the East Coast, and the company does not export its products.

Berkowitz emphasizes, “Our strength lies in being innovative. We constantly pursue growth markets, unique products, and high quality, rather than engaging in mere price competition.”

Since the spread of COVID-19 in 2020, demand has surged for products that ensure stable quality while reducing kitchen labor. Berkowitz used this opportunity to focus on developing and selling value-added products. The company launched tuna tataki slices for foodservice, followed by a retail version. It also created ready-to-make poke kits made with raw fish for Hawaiian-style dishes. In recent years, it has focused on proposing frozen sushi, frozen sushi components, and frozen rice balls to the foodservice industry.

⚠ Disclaimer

The article available for download was prepared in English by Minato News on March 7, 2026. It is based on an article originally published by Minato News in Japanese. The Japanese article appeared in Minato News’ digital edition on February 12, 2026, and in the print edition on February 13, 2026. All photographs used in this article were provided by Seafood Imports Inc. to Minato News and have been edited for publication, including background compositing and minor object removal.