Seafood export/import advice — struggling to connect with serious international buyers
Hi everyone,
I recently started working with a seafood export company based in Fukuoka, Japan, and I wanted to ask for some advice from people involved in seafood importing/distribution internationally.
We specialize in fresh Japanese seafood sourced mainly from Kyushu and Western Japan. One thing that impressed me after joining the company was how much attention goes into handling speed and quality control. Our processing facility is located close to Fukuoka Central Wholesale Market and only about 10 minutes from Fukuoka Airport, so the company is able to move products very quickly from market to export.
We handle both wild-caught and farmed Japanese seafood and can source a wide range of species depending on season and availability through our supplier network across Japan.
So far, the company has built strong long-term relationships with partners in Taiwan and the US, and we already export throughout most of Asia. From what I’ve seen, customers are especially satisfied with freshness and consistency.
The difficult part has been expanding beyond existing markets. Outside of Asia and our current US relationships, most of the company’s growth efforts have been through cold outreach, and it has been much harder than expected to connect with serious buyers/importers internationally.
I was curious from the perspective of importers, distributors, chefs, or seafood professionals here:
How do serious buyers usually discover and evaluate overseas seafood suppliers nowadays?
Is it mostly through trade shows, referrals, local agents, direct networking, online platforms, or something else?
Would really appreciate any advice or insight from people with experience in the industry.