{"id":20818,"date":"2026-07-14T11:28:09","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T15:28:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.makivvik.ca\/?post_type=taqralikonline&p=20818"},"modified":"2026-07-14T13:15:08","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T17:15:08","slug":"from-ungava-bay-to-the-world-stage-edds-trade-mission-to-china","status":"publish","type":"taqralikonline","link":"https:\/\/www.makivvik.ca\/fr\/article\/from-ungava-bay-to-the-world-stage-edds-trade-mission-to-china\/","title":{"rendered":"From Ungava Bay to the World Stage: EDD\u2019s Trade Mission to China"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
By Jason Annahatak<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

On October 23, Makivvik\u2019s Economic Development Department\u2019s Vice President Andy Moorhouse, then Director Jason Annahatak, and Fisheries Manager Tony Wright departed for China to participate in the country\u2019s massive seafood market and to support the sales of Nunavik\u2019s Pandalus montagui shrimp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Makivvik\u2019s representatives travelled with their partners NewFound Resources Ltd. (NRL), a St. John\u2019s, Newfoundland-based operator that is commissioned by Makivvik use its shrimp licenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Collectively, Makivvik\u2019s and NRL\u2019s objectives were threefold. First was to strengthen relationships with existing buyers and find potential new customers. Second, was to gain a deeper, first-hand understanding of how China\u2019s shrimp industry works to help Makivvik become more involved in fisheries. Thirdly, to express opposition to the introduction of tariffs on seafood, which were imposed by China on all Canadian seafood exports in March 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What followed was a variety of meetings with importers, factory tours, trade show attendance, and conversations with potential clients that shed light on how Nunavik shrimp fits into the largest seafood market in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Andy Moorhouse, Makivvik\u2019s former Director of Business Development Jason Annahatak, and Tony Wright in the cold storage warehouse of Makivvik\u2019s largest client distributor. \u00a9 Jason Annahatak\/Makivvik<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Why China Matters<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Given its huge population, and its status as the top cold-water shrimp market, China shapes global demand and pricing for the product in a way that no other country can. On average, clients from China account for half of all NRL and Makivvik\u2019s shrimp sales, which are sold only in container-sized format. As competition from several arctic counties remains strong and supply of wild shrimp fluctuates over the course of time, building strong relationships in this commodity market is tremendously important for NRL and for the long-term value of Nunavik\u2019s shrimp fisheries. NRL and Makivvik have the single largest harvesting-capacity vessel in the Canadian industry dedicated to shrimp fishing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three Cities, Three Perspectives<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout the visit, the delgation spent time in Jinan, Qingdao, and Beijing. Each offered a different look into China\u2019s shrimp distribution networks, processing capabilities, and business culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jinan: Meeting the Market Movers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Jinan, representatives first met with Makivvik\u2019s major partner Grand Oceans (GO), a massive importer of many types of seafood from around the world. Grand Oceans is a significant force in the region\u2019s seafood industry, distributing 40,000 metric tonnes of NRL and Makivvik\u2019s shrimp annually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A guided tour of Grand Ocean\u2019s cold storage facility provided a rare look at where Nunavik shrimp ends up after arriving in China. Inside, huge stacks of frozen seafood\u2014floor to ceiling\u2014filled a warehouse kept at frigid temperatures. Boxes of NRL\u2019s shrimp sat among products from Europe, Asia, and the Americas, underscoring how globalized and competitive this market is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jinan\u2019s Unexpected Lesson: Social Media Sells Seafood<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the most surprising insights came from an evening visit to Grand Ocean\u2019s offices. There, the team watched Grand Ocean\u2019s in-house livestream influencer sell seafood, including Canadian shrimp, on TikTok, drawing live audiences of 10,000\u201315,000 viewers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grand Oceans employs three full-time livestream hosts, with dedicated studio rooms and support staff. Their broadcasts are polished, rapid, and persuasive, featuring high-energy sales driven by consumer engagement in real time.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Supper at a round table – how the Chinese make deals. \u00a9 Jason Annahatak\/Makivvik<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Qingdao: The Processing Powerhouse<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Jinan, the delegation travelled by bullet train to Qingdao, a major coastal city and a global centre for seafood trade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Makivvik seafood products on display at the China Fisheries and Seafood Expo in Qingdao last fall. \u00a9 Jason Annahatak\/Makivvik<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Inside Schooner: A Key Partner for Raw Shrimp<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One unique visit of the trip was to Schooner, a seafood processing company located on the outskirts of Qingdao. Schooner is unique in the NRL network because it is run by a Japanese CEO, Nobutaka Higuchi, and his management team. Schooner purchases raw, unpeeled, uncooked shrimp, which Japan demands in relation to its culinary culture of sushi and raw seafood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Higuchi expressed strong interest in purchasing even more raw products, but NRL\u2019s supply limitations again became clear. Expanding this product category would require additional harvesting capacity, something that Makivvik is actively exploring with Newfound Resources, considering upgrading to a higher capacity vessel or investing in a second one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Group photo of the team outside the China Fisheries and Seafood Expo. \u00a9 Jason Annahatak\/Makivvik<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The China Fisheries & Seafood Expo<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For three days, the team then participated in the China Fisheries & Seafood Expo, a major international event drawing thousands of buyers, distributors, and industry specialists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout the event livestream influencers marketed seafood directly on the trade-show floor. Companies from Greenland, Iceland, Russia, and Canada displayed competing shrimp products as well as other species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the trade show the group also met with Canada\u2019s Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Heath MacDonald.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Makivvik\u2019s VP of Economic Development Andy Moorhouse meeting with Honourable Heath MacDonald, Canada\u2019s Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food. \u00a9 Jason Annahatak\/Makivvik<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Beijing: Diplomacy and New Leads<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The final leg of the trip brought the delegation to Beijing for meetings hosted by the Canada China Business Council.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part of the CCBC event involved Business to Business sessions where the delegation met new potential buyers through a speed-dating style event. Three Chinese companies expressed interest in cold-water shrimp and engaged in detailed discussions about price, volumes, and shipping methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Trip To build upon<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

EDD\u2019s mission to China was more than a trade visit. It was an opportunity to witness firsthand how Nunavik\u2019s shrimp fits into the global seafood economy. The team returned with strengthened partnerships, new potential clients, and a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities for our collaboration with NRL to grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Nunavik\u2019s communities, whose livelihoods are tied to sustainable fisheries, such insights matter. As NRL continues to market Pandalus montagui in an increasingly competitive world, the lessons from Jinan, Qingdao, and Beijing will help guide decisions that shape the future of both the fishery and the region.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Jason Annahatak On October 23, Makivvik\u2019s Economic Development Department\u2019s Vice President Andy Moorhouse, then Director Jason Annahatak, and Fisheries Manager Tony Wright departed for China [\u2026]<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":20819,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"taqralik-issues":[449,123],"class_list":["post-20818","taqralikonline","type-taqralikonline","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","taqralik-issues-449","taqralik-issues-spring"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.makivvik.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/taqralikonline\/20818","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.makivvik.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/taqralikonline"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.makivvik.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/taqralikonline"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.makivvik.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/taqralikonline\/20818\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20839,"href":"https:\/\/www.makivvik.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/taqralikonline\/20818\/revisions\/20839"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.makivvik.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20819"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.makivvik.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20818"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"taqralik-issues","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.makivvik.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/taqralik-issues?post=20818"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}