Consignaciones del Mar is a company in the Confremar Group dedicated to importing, processing and marketing fish.

Q- You’re looking to expand onto new markets, is that right?
A- Yes, we have been trying to move onto markets apart from France and Italy since 2011 when the downturn started to bite. We are putting out feelers for exporting to Eastern European countries, although most of our efforts are going into the US, Cuba, Brazil and Costa Rica…

Q- What led you to choose this path?
A- It used to be enough to just export to our closest and more traditional markets. But when you see you’re getting increasingly smaller returns in these countries, you think, ‘I have to start looking at other markets that aren’t as saturated.’

Q- How do you go about learning more about these new markets?
A- We have a team of people who travel, learn what they can about new markets and customs and check out what other companies are doing in the country, in order to learn and improve on it.

Q- What problems have you come up against expanding onto these new markets?
A- The hardest country is the US because they have very tight legislation and getting your product onto the market can be an uphill battle. In our case, we have gone so far as to open an office in Miami to make it easier. Russia and the Eastern European countries are hard too because they are very closed markets and there is starting to be quite a lot of competition. On the other hand, it’s not so hard to move onto the Central and South American markets.

Q- What is the key to exporting to a new market?
A- You have to go in with your star product, which in our case is refrigerated and frozen tuna, and then offer the rest of your products once you’ve got your foot in the door. Also, if you want to export, you need a product that has been prepared and that offers added value. Finally, it is important to focus on one country and consolidate your position there before you move onto another one.