Argentina Molluscs Export Market -- HS Code 0307 Trade Data & Price Trend (May 2025)

Argentina Molluscs Export (HS 0307) Key Takeaways

Argentina's Molluscs Export under HS Code 0307 in May 2025 is dominated by frozen cuttle fish and squid, a low-value bulk commodity, with China absorbing 66.78% of shipments—highlighting heavy geographic reliance. The market is highly fragmented, with no dominant buyers, increasing operational complexity for exporters. A sharp contraction to $102.32 million signals volatile demand, likely influenced by trade policy shifts. This analysis, covering May 2025, is based on cleanly processed Customs data from the yTrade database.

Argentina Molluscs Export (HS 0307) Background

What is HS Code 0307?

HS Code 0307 covers molluscs, whether in shell or not, live, fresh, chilled, frozen, dried, salted, or in brine, as well as flour, meals, and pellets of aquatic invertebrates. This product category is critical for global food supply chains, particularly in the seafood and aquaculture industries, where demand remains stable due to its use in both direct consumption and processed food production. The classification ensures standardized trade tracking for these commodities across international markets.

Current Context and Strategic Position

The 2025 U.S. Trade Policy highlights ongoing scrutiny of foreign trade barriers, including those affecting seafood exports like molluscs [USTR]. Argentina's molluscs export sector is strategically positioned to capitalize on this demand, given its extensive coastline and aquaculture capabilities. However, market vigilance is essential, as tariff revisions and regulatory shifts, such as those in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (Source Name), could impact trade flows. Monitoring Argentina's trade data under HS Code 0307 is crucial for stakeholders navigating these dynamics.

Argentina Molluscs Export (HS 0307) Price Trend

Key Observations

Argentina's Molluscs exports in May 2025 contracted sharply to $102.32 million USD, marking a significant downturn from the previous month's performance.

Price and Volume Dynamics

The Argentina Molluscs Export trend exhibited pronounced volatility through early 2025, with values surging to $607.48 million in February before declining in March and rebounding to $546.80 million in April. This erratic pattern aligns with potential trade policy adjustments, as highlighted in the U.S. Trade Representative's report on foreign trade barriers [USTR] and revisions to tariff schedules by the USITC (U.S. International Trade Commission). The May collapse in the hs code 0307 value trend may reflect broader market disruptions or seasonal demand shifts impacting global seafood trade.

Argentina Molluscs Export (HS 0307) HS Code Breakdown

Product Specialization and Concentration

In May 2025, Argentina's export of molluscs under HS Code 0307 is overwhelmingly dominated by frozen cuttle fish and squid, specifically the sub-code 03074310110, which accounts for nearly 94% of the volume and 89% of the value. According to yTrade data, this product has a unit price of approximately 2.69 USD per kilogram, indicating a standardized bulk commodity. A minor anomaly is present with sub-code 03074310140, which shows a significantly higher unit price of around 24.42 USD per kilogram, but it represents less than 0.01% of the volume and is isolated from the main analysis due to its outlier status.

Value-Chain Structure and Grade Analysis

The remaining non-anomalous exports can be grouped into two categories based on unit price disparities: standard cuttle fish and squid variants with prices around 2.69 to 4.03 USD per kilogram, and scallops at approximately 7.28 USD per kilogram. This structure suggests that Argentina's HS Code 0307 trade data reflects a market for fungible bulk commodities, where products are largely undifferentiated and price-driven, with scallops commanding a premium due to their specific type.

Strategic Implication and Pricing Power

For exporters, the high concentration in low-value cuttle fish and squid limits pricing power, emphasizing cost efficiency and volume. Diversifying into higher-value products like scallops could improve margins. Analyzing HS Code 0307 trade data shows that Argentina's export strategy should focus on leveraging scale for bulk commodities while exploring niche markets for premium items to enhance overall returns.

Table: Argentina HS Code 0307) Breakdown Details (Source: yTrade)

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Argentina Molluscs Export (HS 0307) Destination Countries

Geographic Concentration and Dominant Role

China is the dominant destination for Argentina's Molluscs exports in May 2025, accounting for 66.78% of the total export value. Its share of the total quantity is also high at 71.12%, but the slightly lower value share compared to volume suggests trade includes a mix of product grades. The very high shipment frequency of 48.61% indicates a steady, high-volume supply chain, which is typical for perishable food products like seafood that require consistent logistics.

Destination Countries Clusters and Underlying Causes

The export partners form two clear clusters. The first is a volume-driven cluster led by China, with Thailand and Japan also showing significant volume and value shares. These countries are major processing hubs and consumer markets for seafood. A second, smaller cluster includes countries like Spain, the United States, and Vietnam. These partners have lower overall volumes but still represent meaningful value, pointing to diversified demand for Argentina's Molluscs beyond the primary market in Asia.

Forward Strategy and Supply Chain Implications

The heavy reliance on China requires a strategy focused on supply chain resilience for this key trade lane. Ensuring consistent, high-quality cold chain logistics is paramount for maintaining this volume. For other markets, the opportunity lies in value growth. Efforts could focus on promoting premium product varieties in countries like Spain and the United States to increase the average value per shipment and diversify market risk for Argentina's Molluscs export business.

Table: Argentina Molluscs (HS 0307) Top Destination Countries (Source: yTrade)

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Argentina Molluscs (HS 0307) Buyers Analysis

Buyer Market Concentration and Dominance

According to yTrade data, the Argentina Molluscs Export buyer market in May 2025 shows no high-value buyer groups. This structure means there is no typical trade profile for this product. The market is made up entirely of low-value buyers, showing a very fragmented and spread-out buyer base for Argentina Molluscs Export.

Strategic Buyer Clusters and Trade Role

The profile of HS code 0307 buyers points to a market driven by many small, local buyers. These are likely regional distributors, local seafood markets, or small importers. The lack of large, high-frequency buyers suggests this trade lacks major consolidators or large-scale international distributors. The four segments of buyers for this product are all in the low-value categories.

Sales Strategy and Vulnerability

For Argentine exporters, this buyer structure requires a direct sales approach to many small clients. This increases administrative work and logistics complexity. The main risk is market volatility from many small orders, while the opportunity lies in building a broad, stable client base. The lack of dominant buyers means no single client loss will severely hurt trade, but it also limits large, stable contract opportunities.

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Action Plan for Molluscs Market Operation and Expansion

• Use hs code 0307 trade data to identify and target premium product sub-codes like scallops for export, as this will increase the average value per shipment and improve profit margins for the Argentina Molluscs Export business.
• Analyze the fragmented buyer base to identify and group smaller, frequent importers into consolidated accounts, which will reduce administrative burdens and create more stable, predictable order volumes.
• Secure dedicated cold chain logistics for the primary trade lane to China to ensure consistent quality and delivery, as this is critical for maintaining the resilience of the Molluscs supply chain and protecting the largest revenue stream.
• Develop targeted marketing for higher-value product grades in secondary markets like Spain and the US, which will help diversify market risk and reduce over-reliance on a single destination for Argentina's Molluscs Export.

Take Action Now —— Explore Argentina Molluscs Export Data

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What is driving the recent changes in Argentina Molluscs Export 2025 May?

Argentina's Molluscs exports collapsed to $102.32 million in May 2025 after volatile swings earlier in the year, likely due to trade policy shifts or seasonal demand changes in global seafood markets.

Q2. Who are the main destination countries of Argentina Molluscs (HS Code 0307) 2025 May?

China dominates with 66.78% of export value, followed by Thailand and Japan, forming a volume-driven Asian cluster. Spain, the U.S., and Vietnam represent smaller but meaningful secondary markets.

Q3. Why does the unit price differ across destination countries of Argentina Molluscs Export?

Prices range from $2.69/kg for bulk frozen cuttlefish/squid (94% of volume) to $7.28/kg for premium scallops, reflecting undifferentiated bulk commodities versus niche higher-value products.

Q4. What should exporters in Argentina focus on in the current Molluscs export market?

Exporters must prioritize cost efficiency for bulk squid/cuttlefish while diversifying into premium scallops to improve margins, alongside managing fragmented small-buyer relationships.

Q5. What does this Argentina Molluscs export pattern mean for buyers in partner countries?

Buyers benefit from stable bulk supply (especially in China) but face volatility from many small exporters, with opportunities to source premium grades in secondary markets like Spain or the U.S.

Q6. How is Molluscs typically used in this trade flow?

Argentina primarily exports frozen cuttlefish and squid as standardized bulk commodities for processing or mass consumption, with scallops serving niche higher-end markets.