Snow crab is considered a delicacy available from December to April.

Freshly steamed snow crabs offer a different taste from blue crabs.

In terms of taste, Yeongdeok snow crab is by far the best, but considering the circumstances of the pocket, imported snow crabs are not bad either.

Most of the snow crabs imported from Korea are from Russia.

I've only been to Russia once on a business trip, and I remember eating steamed crabs generously because it was Vladivostok, the seaside.


Crab prices fluctuate in Ukraine

The price of snow crab, a spring delicacy, has fluctuated recently.

As it is a seafood product, the price may fluctuate according to the catch or demand, but the cause of this price change was the war.

As mentioned earlier, most of the snow crabs imported from Korea are from Russia.

Shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine, prices skyrocketed due to supply and demand instability.



Let's see the price trend.

According to the Noryangjin Fish Market price information released on the 5th, the price per kg of crab is usually ▲39,800 won in the 4th week of February ▲46,700 won in the first week of March ▲37,100 won in the 2nd week of March ▲30,800 won in the 3rd week of March ▲ It was 27,900 won in the 4th week of March.

The price, which jumped about 7,000 won after the outbreak of the war on February 24, seems to be falling again.



As Russia designated 30 countries, including Korea, as unfriendly countries last month, concerns about export restrictions were raised in the domestic market, so prices usually surged temporarily. It seems to be the primary reason to return to .



China's spread of COVID-19 usually 'drops' the price

However, it is understandable that the price, which had risen due to supply and demand instability, is normalizing, but why did the price drop more than before the war?

In a situation where various prices are already soaring in the supply chain disruption.

The cause is China.

The main source of demand for Russian snow crab was China.

In China, however, the recent surge in COVID-19 cases has resulted in the closure of major cities such as Shanghai, leaving snow crabs nowhere to go.



Domestic supply prices fell sharply as the volume of shipments that were supposed to go to China came to Korea, but it is said that it is ironic that consumer price inflation has risen to the highest level in 10 years.

If so, it must be said that you are enjoying the cheap snow crab to your heart's content, but they say that it is not easy to find snow crabs in the mart.



Usually, when the price fell, you and I started to buy, resulting in a shortage.

Even though they are imported, snow crabs are not affordable enough to be eaten at any time, so the demand for 'Let's try it before the price goes up again' was soaring, and the words 'Sold out snow crab' were posted on the counters of large marts.



Korea is a country with a trade-oriented economic structure.

Most of the things we eat and use are closely intertwined with foreign situations.

Whether imported directly or processed by importing raw materials, very few items are produced, exported, or consumed only with goods originating in Korea.



There are some that lack resources originally, but in order to maximize efficiency, the ones that can be made in Korea are often imported to meet the unit price.

A typical example is the number of elements that have suffered supply disruptions.

Just looking at the price of imported crabs does not have a lot of implications for how the Korean economy is related to the global economy and what kind of preparations are needed in the future.