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The Japanese surimi industry faces a difficult path toward stabilization in 2026
Rising Costs and Global Instability Threaten Japan’s Surimi Heritage
JAPAN
Monday, May 11, 2026, 01:00 (GMT + 9)
Raw Material Surges and Logistics Bottlenecks Push Retail Prices to Record Highs as Production Hits Historic Lows
 TOKYO — The Japanese surimi industry, a cornerstone of the nation's culinary identity, is grappling with an unprecedented "cost out-of-control" crisis. An emergency survey conducted by the Japan Kamaboko Association between April 8th and 30th, 2026 , warns that a volatile mix of Middle East instability, surging energy costs, and shifting global demand is pushing operational pressures to a breaking point.
Supply Chain Under Siege
The survey, which gathered data from 54 companies , highlights a tightening grip on essential raw materials. While the supply of Alaskan pollock surimi remains relatively stable for the majority, 6 companies have already reported import restrictions. The situation is mirrored with Russian -sourced surimi, where 6 firms face supply constraints.
The instability is most acute in Southeast Asia . In major hubs like Vietnam , escalating fuel prices have forced fishing fleets to reduce their time at sea, leading to a sharp decline in raw fish landings and surimi block production.
A Wave of Price Hikes
The financial impact is being felt immediately across the supply chain. For Alaskan pollock surimi:
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33 companies have received formal price increase notices.
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13 companies report hikes between 0% and 5% .
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20 companies are seeing jumps of 5% to 10% .
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6 companies are facing steep increases of 10% to 20% .
Russian producers are following suit, with 30 Japanese firms receiving adjustment notices. Projections indicate that major Russian producers plan to raise 2026 B-season surimi block prices by approximately 15% starting in June . Industry analysts note that this shift is driven by a pivot toward fish fillets and H&G (headed and gutted) products, which has cannibalized surimi production capacity.
Source: Russian Fishery Compnay
Beyond the Fish: The Overhead Crisis
The crisis extends far beyond the raw seafood. Japanese processors are being hit by "simultaneous" increases in secondary costs:
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Packaging: 22 companies reported 5% to 10% increases for cardboard, while film packaging has spiked by up to 20% for 20 firms .
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Utilities: 36 companies reported electricity hikes, with 16 seeing increases of 10% to 20% .
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Logistics: Transportation costs have surged, with 20 companies reporting adjustments, predominantly in the 10% to 20% range.
Historical Decline and Record Retail Prices
 The industry is shrinking at an alarming rate. From a peak of over 1,000,000 tons in the 1970s , Japan’s surimi production plummeted to between 358,000 and 389,000 tons in 2024. Experts warn that output may soon fall below the 360,000-ton threshold.
As reported by Food World (Beijing) , these costs have been passed directly to the consumer. Using a 2020 baseline, the Japanese consumer price index for surimi reached a staggering 130.4 by December 2025 . Specific staples have hit even higher peaks:
With global energy markets remaining volatile and production shifting toward more lucrative fish products, the Japanese surimi industry faces a difficult path toward stabilization in 2026 .
🇯🇵 Japanese
Japan's のすり body industry, コスト's inability to restrain the situation にface し価格が高动
Raw materials are urgently needed, logistics is stagnant, and production volume is at the lowest level in the past. Medium and small, the highest level in the past is updated.
TOKYO - Japan's food culture is facing the crisis of Japan's body products industry , which cannot be managed. Japan Association of Japan April 8, 2026, April 30, 2026 Urgent investigation of the emergency investigation of the situation in the Middle East , the instability of the situation in the Middle East, and theーコストの久tension、そして之なNeedの変化が路み合い、経The pressure limit point is the limit point and the upper limit is the warning.
包囲されるサプライチェーン
54社からanswersをgetsたこのinvestigationは、不用なraw materialsのsupplyが出き定まっているconditionsを floatきsculptりにしています.アラスカ产スケトウダラすり Body Supplier, most of the company's にとっては ratio It is relatively stable and stable, and the input restriction report of 6 companies is relatively stable. The situation of the same situation is the same as the production and production, and the supply constraints of the 6 companies are directly faced.
この unstable さは, southeast アジアでmost も顕敕す. The main production is 拠点 であるベトナムなどでは, fuel price increase, and the number of fishing boats The amount of raw material fish input and the production volume of raw materials have been greatly reduced.
価格高腾の波
The financial impact is reflected in the overall financial impact.アラスカproduced スケトウダラすり生については:
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33 Society 's official notice of the change of the standard has been received and received.
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13 companies reported a 0% to 5% ratio.
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20 companies are facing the 5% to 10% risk.
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The 10% to 20% rise in 6 companies has increased sharply.
ロシアのproducer もこれにfollows しており, 30の日本公司が Adjustment Notice をReceived けtake っています. Predicted によれば,ロシアのmain すり body producer は, In June 2026, approximately 15% of the B-level projects will be planned. Industry アナリストは, この変化はフィレ (cutting body) やH&G (Head抜き・内铓抜き) The product needs to be replaced by the production capacity of the product.
Other than Fish: The Crisis of Overhead Costs
Crisis is the raw material of fish. Japan's processing company, deputy director of Nakotsu's "simultaneity" rises to the top:
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Packaging materials: 22 company 's section ボールの5%~10%の夤上げをreportし, フィルムpackaging 20 company 's maximum 20% rapid increase しました.
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Public materials: 36 companies have reported high prices, and 16 companies have reported an increase of 10% to 20%.
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Logistics: Notice of adjustment of 10% to 20% of the 10 % to 20% range adjustment for the transportation company has been announced.
The decline of history and the highest value of Xiaosheng
The industry is surprised at how fast it is and how fast it is shrinking. In the 1970s , the production volume of Japanese personal care products was 1 million . In 2024 , there will be a sharp reduction of 358,000 トンから 389,000 トンにまでしました. We are a dedicated family, and the future production volume is 360,000 units, and the possibility of cutting it is a warning.
フードワールド (Beijing)のreportsによれば、これらのコストはDirect consumerに転Marryされています. In 2020 , the benchmark index was Japan's consumer goods index, and in December 2025 , the index was astonishingly high at 130.4 . Specific main products are:
The world's largest fish market is unstable, and the production of fish products with high profitability is fish products. In 2026 , the industry in China and Japan will be stabilizing and facing difficulties.
🇨🇳 Simplified Chinese
Japan's surimi industry is facing runaway costs, with retail prices hitting record highs.
Soaring raw material prices and logistical bottlenecks have led to record low production, while retail prices continue to rise.
Tokyo — Japan's surimi industry , a cornerstone of the nation's culinary culture , is facing an unprecedented crisis of "out-of-control costs." An urgent survey conducted by the Japan Surimi Association from April 8 to 30, , warns that a combination of factors, including instability in the Middle East , soaring energy costs, and changing global demand, is pushing operational pressures to a critical point.
Supply chains are in deep trouble
This survey, which collected data from 54 companies , highlights the tightening supply of key raw materials. While the supply of Alaskan pollock surimi is relatively stable for most companies, six have reported import restrictions. A similar situation exists with Russian- sourced surimi, with six companies facing supply pressure.
This instability is particularly pronounced in Southeast Asia . In major production areas such as Vietnam , rising fuel prices have led to a decrease in the frequency of fishing boats going out to sea, directly resulting in a significant reduction in the amount of raw fish arriving and the production of fish paste.
Price surge
The financial impact is rapidly spreading throughout the supply chain. Specifically regarding Alaskan pollock surimi:
-
33 companies have received formal notices of price increases.
-
Thirteen companies reported gains between 0% and 5%.
-
Twenty companies face a price increase of 5% to 10%.
-
Six companies face sharp increases of 10% to 20%.
Russian producers followed suit, with 30 Japanese companies already receiving price adjustment notices. Forecasts indicate that major Russian surimi producers plan to raise surimi block prices by approximately 15% starting in June for the second quarter of 2026. Industry analysts point out that this change is primarily due to strong market demand for fish fillets and H&G (headed and gutted) products, which has squeezed surimi production capacity.
Beyond Fish: The Indirect Cost Crisis
The crisis extends far beyond raw fish. Japanese processing companies are suffering a simultaneous blow from secondary costs:
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Packaging: 22 companies reported a 5% to 10% increase in cardboard box prices , while film packaging saw the largest surge of 20% among 20 companies .
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Utilities: 36 companies reported electricity price increases, with 16 of them seeing increases of 10% to 20% .
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Logistics: Transportation costs have also increased significantly, with 20 companies receiving adjustment notices, and the increases mostly ranging from 10% to 20%.
Historic recession and record retail prices
The industry is shrinking at an alarming rate. Japan's surimi production has plummeted from over 1 million tons in the 1970s to approximately 358,000 to 389,000 tons in 2024. Experts warn that future production could fall below 360,000 tons .
According to Food World (Beijing) , these costs have been directly passed on to consumers. Based on 2020 figures, the consumer price index for surimi products in Japan has climbed to a staggering 130.4 by December 2025. The price increases for certain individual products are even higher.
With continued volatility in global energy markets and a shift in production focus towards higher-margin fish products, the path to stability for Japan's surimi industry throughout 2026 will be challenging.
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