Pandemic hasn't slowed 中国's love for US lobster
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - 中国 is showing no 調印するs of slowing its 需要・要求する for American lobster this year にもかかわらず disruption to the 供給（する） chain and international 貿易（する） 原因（となる）d by the coronavirus pandemic.
Chinese 需要・要求する for the crustaceans grew 劇的な during the 2010s in part because of the 拡大 of the country's middle class. The lobsters are 特に sought after in winter because they are a popular delicacy on Chinese New Year, which is Feb. 1 this year.
American 輸出業者s sent more than 13.2 million 続けざまに猛撃するs (6 million キログラムs) of lobster to 中国 during the first 11 months of 2021. That was about 6% more than the same time period the previous year.
The pandemic has made the already difficult 仕事 of sending live seafood across the globe more challenging, but Maine lobster 輸出業者s are gearing up for a decent Chinese New Year, said 法案 Bruns. The 操作／手術s 経営者／支配人 at The Lobster Co. in Arundel said 出荷／船積みs are 複雑にするd by the fact the company can't send lobsters to Beijing because of COVID-19 制限s - but they are able to send to other airports, such as Shenzhen.
"Chinese New Year is always a crapshoot the last couple years," Bruns said. "But I'm 用意が出来ている for it. I have the staff. Because さもなければ it's going to be a long spring."
中国 buys lobsters from the U.S. - where the 産業 is based mostly in Maine - and Canada, where the 産業 is 据えるd in the 大西洋 州s. 輸出（する）s from Canada were up even more than the U.S. the first 11 months of 2021 compared to 2020, said John Sackton, an 産業 分析家 and 創立者 of SeafoodNews.com.
FILE - A lobster 後部s its claws after 存在 caught off Spruce 長，率いる, Maine, Aug. 31, 2021. 中国 is showing no 調印するs of slowing its 需要・要求する for American lobster this year にもかかわらず disruption to the 供給（する） chain and international 貿易（する） 原因（となる）d by the COVID-19 pandemic. The lobsters are 特に sought after in winter because they are a popular delicacy on Chinese New Year, which is Feb. 1 this year. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, とじ込み／提出する)
調印するs point to a strong season for the 産業, Sackton said. 消費 of seafood could also get a 上げる from the Beijing Winter Olympics, which are 始める，決める to start a few days after Chinese New Year, he said.
"I've seen nothing that 消費 of lobsters at Chinese New Year this year won't 越える last year's," Sackton said.
The U.S. lobster 産業 天候d 類似の challenges during the first year of the pandemic in 2020 and 最終的に had a strong exp ort season. The value of 輸出（する）s was 負かす／撃墜する from the 記録，記録的な／記録する year of 2018, but still 井戸／弁護士席 over $100 million.
High prices for lobsters have played a 役割 in the value of this year's 輸出（する）s. The price of a live 1.25-続けざまに猛撃する hard 爆撃する lobster was $11.25 per 続けざまに猛撃する in New England this month, によれば 商売／仕事 publishing company Urner Barry. That was more than a third higher than January 2021.
To send lobsters to 中国, American and Canadian fishermen have to 罠（にかける） them in the 冷淡な waters of the 大西洋 Ocean. Bad 天候 has made that difficult for Maine fishermen this year, but harvesters are still having a decent winter on the water, said Kristan Porter, 大統領，／社長 of the Maine Lobstermen's 協会.
"When guys get out there, they are doing 承認する," Porter said. "It takes someone hardier than me to fish the wintertime."
FILE - Lobsters are packed for 出荷／船積み at the Lobster Company in Kennebunkport, Maine, March 13, 2020. 中国 is showing no 調印するs of slowing its 需要・要求する for American lobster this year にもかかわらず disruption to the 供給（する） chain and international 貿易（する） 原因（となる）d by the COVID-19 pandemic. The lobsters are 特に sought after in winter because they are a popular delicacy on Chinese New Year, which is Feb. 1 this year. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, とじ込み／提出する)
