Bulgaria: Fish and Seafood Market Brief Bulgaria

Bulgarian fish and seafood importers are seeking to expand the variety of locally available fish, particularly among the mid and high-value categories. According to the Bulgarian National Statistical Institute (NSI), which measures trade data based on country of origin, and therefore captures U.S. trade routed through other European ports of entry, Bulgaria imported $166,000 of U.S. fish and seafood in 2021, up 29 percent from the difficult 2020, but significantly lower than the pre-COVID levels of $554,656 in 2019. This trade consisted mainly of frozen Pacific salmon, smoked trout, lobsters, shrimps, and scallops. The foodservice sector, which was severely hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, is an important driver of fish and seafood demand growth in Bulgaria. Bulgaria’s per capita fish and seafood consumption is still below the EU average.