THE RELATIVE VOLUME OF VARIOUS FISHERY PRO HJCTS FROM 

 FOREIGN SOURCES FOR DOMECTIC CONSUMFTlOTT 



Reference has been made to the importance of imports of certain types 

 of fishery products in the fish consumption pattern of the United States, 

 There has been a considerable increase in the percentage of edible fishery 

 products supplied by foreign sources in recent years, particularly frozen 

 cod fillets and frozen tuna. Table 5 shows the share of civilian con- 

 sumption of edible fish in the United States foreign producers have had 

 in total and by types of products from 1930 through 1951, with 1952 data 

 unavailable. Since pre-WorM War II years the percentage of total civilian 

 consumption supplied by imports from foreign countries has approximately 

 doubled. Data for 1952 are unavailable. Particular note should be made 

 of the substantial increase in the percentage of foreign supply for the 

 fresh and frozen category. This latter increase is due largely to the 

 imports of groundfish fillets, particularly cod fillets. 



Table 6 gives a f\ill picture of the estimated percentages of the 

 total apparent supply of canned tuna by source and type for the years 

 1926 through 1952. This table does not take into account beginning and 

 year end stocks, but it is felt that this does not significantly affect 

 the data in the table which show the relative portions of apparent supply 

 coming from different sources. Fresh and frozen tuna imports from foreign 

 countries amounted to 16.2 percent of the total apparent supply of canned 

 tuna in 1952, while in 1938 they amounted to only 3.6 percent. Canned 

 tuna imports from foreign sources were 20.3 percent of the total apparent 

 supply in 1950 just prior to the automatic doubling of the duty to 45 

 percent ad valorem on tuna canned in oil on January 1, 1951. Although 

 this percentage was not as great as the 29.3 percent in 1933 the actual 

 volume entered in 1950 was greater than that of 1933 when total supply 

 and consumption were much less. With the 45 percent ad valorem duty in 

 effect, tuna canned in oil has now declined to pre-World War II levels 

 in absolute quantities imported and the percentage of the total apparent 

 supply also has declined. New on the market as a volume product, tuna 

 canned in brine, which is subject to a 12^ percent ad valorem duty, was 

 beginning to be imported in significant amounts in 1951. 



Of the total apparent supply of canned tuna in 1952, 33.3 percent 

 was supplied by imports of fresh and frozen tuna and tuna canned in oil 

 and in brine. In 1933 the percentage was 34.5, but the apparent supply 

 was less than one-quarter that in 1952. 



55 



