🦀 Dataset: Japan Frozen Snow Crab Imports

🦀 Dataset: Japan Frozen Snow Crab Import Statistics (1990–2025)

Released February 2026

This dataset provides a detailed view of Japan’s imports of frozen snow crab and related species over a 36-year period. It includes monthly data on import volume, import value, and average import prices in a structured tabular format.

The data are broken down by major supplying countries: Russia, Canada, the United States, Norway, South Korea, Greenland, Latvia, Spain, and Others (all remaining countries combined), along with totals.

This dataset is invaluable for businesses selling crab products to Japan and for analysts monitoring global crab trade trends. It clearly highlights the surge in imports from Russia from 2022 onward, the resulting increase in Japan’s total import volume, and the sharp decline in 2025.

Average import prices are listed in Japanese yen, allowing international buyers and analysts to gauge price fluctuations from the perspective of the Japanese market.

The dataset is available for download after agreeing to the terms of use. To mark the launch of the Minato News Data Station, this dataset is currently scheduled to be available at a discounted introductory price until the end of March 2026.

📦 What’s Included
Excel Table (Single Table)

• Japan’s imports of frozen snow crabs (1990–2025, monthly)
• Covers four Chionoecetes species: snow crab (C. opilio), tanner crab (C. bairdi), triangle tanner crab (C. angulatus), and red snow crab (C. japonicus), without species-level breakdown
• Units: Volume in metric tons, Import Value in thousands of JPY (CIF), Average Import Price in JPY/kg (CIF)
• Source: Japan’s Trade Statistics, Ministry of Finance

👤 Recommended For

• Trading companies handling frozen snow crab and king crab
• Crab industry stakeholders in Russia, the United States, Canada, Norway, and other producing countries
• Seafood consultants, analysts, and market researchers

💡 Why This Dataset Matters

• Saves significant time on historical data collection and cleaning
• Reduces effort required to compile Japanese-language trade statistics
• Provides a long-term quantitative view of Japan’s role in the global crab market