What is the price of lobster per kilogram/pound in US today?
The retail price range for US lobster is between US$ 33.51 and US$ 105.29 per kilogram or between US$ 15.20 and US$ 47.75 per pound(lb). Click here to see today's exact prices of lobster in US
The retail price range in Euro for lobster is between EUR 30.74 and EUR 96.60 per kilogram or between EUR 13.94 and EUR 43.81 per pound(lb) in Washington and New York.
Wholesale prices
In 2024, the approximate wholesale price range for US lobster is between US$ 23.46 and US$ 73.70 per kilogram or between US$ 10.64 and US$ 33.43 per pound(lb).
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US Lobster Export Prices - Historical, Trends and Prediction
The export price per kilogram of Lobster from the US over the last five years has been quite varied. In 2017, the price was 13.76 US$/kg, followed by 13.66 US$/kg in 2018. In 2019, the price rose to 15.00 US$/kg, and then dropped to 14.21 US$/kg in 2020. 2021 saw a significant increase to 18.58 US$/kg, and the most recent year, 2022, saw a slight decrease to 17.67 US$/kg. Based on this data, it is predicted that the export price per kilogram of Lobster from the US in 2023 will be around 17.50 US$/kg, and in 2024 will be around 17.25 US$/kg.US Lobster Import Prices - Historical, Trends and Prediction
The import price per kilogram of Lobster into the US over the last five years has been quite varied. In 2016, the price was at its highest at $121.21, before dropping to $13.76 in 2017. The price then remained relatively stable, with a slight increase to $15.00 in 2019, before dropping to $14.21 in 2020. The most recent year, 2021, saw a significant increase to $18.58. Looking ahead, it is likely that the import price per kilogram of Lobster into the US will remain relatively stable over the next two years. We predict that the price in 2023 will be around $17.67, and in 2024 it will be around $18.58.Export values for US lobster
The total values in export for lobster in US were US$ 799,851, US$ 695,237, US$ 729,785 and US$ 636,139 in US dollar thousand for the years 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 in that order.
Prices of other produce in the Seafood category in US: Sea Bass, Sea Bream, Shrimps & Prawns, Crabs, Crustaceans, Oysters, Scallops, Blue Mussel, Cuttlefish & Squid & Octopus.
See prices of lobster in other countries across North America: Canada lobster, US lobster, Anguilla lobster, Antigua and Barbuda lobster, Bermuda lobster, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba lobster, St.Pierre and Miquelon lobster, United States Minor Outlying Islands lobster, Cayman Islands lobster & Greenland lobster.
US lobster - Production, Exports, Imports, Seasons and HS Codes
The amount of lobster sold by US in 2020 was 34,500 metric tons. In 2019 US sold 42,402 tonnes of lobster. Through 2019 alone, the demand for US lobster (seafood category) has shrunk, with a change of -20.648 percent compared to the year 2018. Between 2017 and 2019, lobster's exports went down by -16.11 pc earning the nation US$636.14m for the year 2019. US' lobster exports are classified as:
- Rock lobster and other sea crawfish "Palinurus spp., Panulirus spp. and Jasus spp.", whether in shell or not, live, fresh or chilled (HS code 030631)
- Lobsters "Homarus spp.", even smoked, whether in shell or not, live, fresh, chilled, dried, salted or in brine, incl. lobsters in shell, cooked by steaming or by boiling in water (HS code 030622)
- Rock lobster and other sea crawfish "Palinurus spp., Panulirus spp. and Jasus spp.", even smoked, whether in shell or not, live, fresh, chilled, dried, salted or in brine, incl. in shell, cooked by steaming or by boiling in water (HS code 030621)
- Lobsters "Homarus spp.", whether in shell or not, dried, salted, smoked or in brine, incl. lobsters in shell, cooked by steaming or by boiling in water (HS code 030692)
- Rock lobster and other sea crawfish "Palinurus spp., Panulirus spp. and Jasus spp.", whether in shell or not, dried, salted, smoked or in brine, incl. in shell, cooked by steaming or by boiling in water (HS code 030691)
- Frozen Norway lobsters "Nephrops norvegicus", even smoked, whether in shell or not, incl. lobsters in shell, cooked by steaming or by boiling in water (HS code 030615)
- Frozen lobsters "Homarus spp.", even smoked, whether in shell or not, incl. lobsters in shell, cooked by steaming or by boiling in water (HS code 030612)
- Lobster (HS code 0306Xd)
- Norway lobsters "Nephrops norvegicus", even smoked, whether in shell or not, live, fresh, chilled, dried, salted or in brine, incl. lobsters in shell, cooked by steaming or by boiling in water (HS code 030625)
- Lobsters "Homarus spp.", whether in shell or not, live, fresh or chilled (HS code 030632)
- Norway lobsters "Nephrops norvegicus", whether in shell or not, live, fresh or chilled (HS code 030634)
- Norway lobsters "Nephrops norvegicus", whether in shell or not, dried, salted, smoked or in brine, incl. lobsters in shell, cooked by steaming or by boiling in water (HS code 030694)
- Lobster, prepared or preserved (excluding smoked) (HS code 160530)
- Frozen rock lobster and other sea crawfish "Palinurus spp.", "Panulirus spp." and "Jasus spp.", even smoked, whether in shell or not, incl. rock lobster and other sea crawfish in shell, cooked by steaming or by boiling in water (HS code 030611)
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US lobster export values
In 2019, US sold lobster worth 636.14m USD, a contraction of -12.83% from 2018's total lobster export of 729.785m USD. The annual change in value of US lobster between 2017 to 2018 was 4.969 per cent.
The per year change in the amount of US' lobster exports between 2017 and 2019 was -16.11 pc in comparison to a variation of -20.648% in the period between 2018 and 2019.
US' stake of the world's total lobster's exports in 2019 was 1.7 pc. The country holds number 10 in world exports of lobster.
Export markets for US lobster ( in '000$ )
Import/Export Trends
US is a net importer of lobster. The annual growth of US lobster in value between 2015 to 2019 was -7%, per annum, while annual growth in quantity was -28%, per annum.
US brought in 55,414 tonnes of lobster in 2019.
The price of Maine Lobster, California Spiny Lobster and Florida Spiny Lobster
There are three main types of lobster fished in the United States, namely Maine Lobster, California Spiny Lobster, and Florida Spiny Lobster.
Below are the different prices for May 2024, across these different types:
1. Maine Lobster
Lowest price: $22.39 per pound
Highest price: $38.49 per pound
Because of its meaty content and sweet tender flesh, Maine lobster is costly. The lowest cost for live Maine lobster, especially across online seafood marketplaces is between $22.39 and $27.99 per pound.
2. California Spiny Lobster
Lowest price: $26 per pound
Highest price: $30 per pound
If you would like to try a nutty flavor on your lobster dish, then the rare California spiny lobster will do. It is available six months a year, from October to mid-March during the state’s fishing season. It gets rather expensive after the October to mid-March fishing season ends in California.
3. Florida Spiny Lobster
Lowest price: $16.99 per pound
Highest price: $19.99 per pound
While it is not as nutty in taste as its California mate, Florida spiny lobster nevertheless has a special delicious flavor of its own. Its tail is quite meaty and a tender treat for lobster tail lovers.
Because of its wide availability 8 months a year, Florida spiny lobster is low-priced compared to the other types of lobsters.
How much does Live Lobster, Lobster Meat, Lobster Tail, and Lobster Claws Cost?
Besides the differentiation of prices across the three popular species of lobster fished in the US, lobster prices also vary depending on whether you are buying live lobster, lobster meat, lobster tail or lobster claws.
1. Live Lobster
Live lobster comes in its shell in most cases. Though it may not always be alive upon arrival depending on the distribution distance, it is usually still fresh. It normally costs cheaper than lobster meat because it has not undergone processing.
The current price of live lobster is about $16.99 per pound on the lower side and $38.49 per pound on the higher side.
2. Lobster Meat
Lobster meat is costlier than live lobster because it has undergone simple processing prior to shipping. The processing bit involves the separation of claws, tail and legs. Some of these parts such as the tail and claws are sometimes sold separately from the body. The body provides the tender flesh known in the seafood market as “lobster meat.”
The price per pound for lobster meat in the US is between $55 and $96.49 in May 2024.
Generally, it's more cost effective to buy lobster meat instead of live lobster. Lobster meat is already processed, meaning the parts that are not good for meat have already been removed. So if your interest is just to enjoy lobster meat, then lobster meat should be your pick.
3. Lobster Tail
Perhaps the most popular lobster tail in the US comes from processed spiny lobster harvested in the Gulf Coast of Florida. This species has a tender meaty tail that compensates for its lack of claws.
Lobster tails come at a premium. You can expect to pay around $39.99 per pound in 2024. The meat comes directly fresh from the ocean, only that processors sell only the tail portion. The maximum retail price for a lobster tail in the US by May 2024 is around $45 per pound.
4. Lobster Claws
A single 1 1/2-pound lobster provides 5 to 8 lobster claws per pound. These claws can look like curved giants on the plate but they are quite delectable. It is for this reason that they cost a premium. The average cost of lobster claws is about $39.5 per pound across online retailers and retail seafood markets in May 2024. The highest cost, however, can reach $70 per pound.
Which month is lobster cheapest in the US?
Lobster is generally cheapest in late spring to early summer (May to June) when lobster harvests peak in some regions. We particularly recommend May as the most appropriate month to buy lobster at a friendly price.
This period coincides with the lobster molting season. Lobsters are more active and easier to catch during this time.
Molting is the process where lobsters shed their old exoskeleton to grow a new, larger one.
How fresh is lobster by the time it’s delivered to consumers?
The freshness level of lobster depends on where you buy it from. If you are going to buy your lobster from a supermarket or a typical grocery store, then the lobster may not be nearly as fresh compared to when you buy your lobster directly from a company that sources their fish directly from source and sell it fresh to customers. Such companies get fresh lobsters daily from the waters and hand select them for dispatch to customers.
Supermarkets and grocery stores, on the other hand, may have preserved the lobster for a couple of days by the time you place your order. But this does not mean that the lobster from supermarkets or grocery stores is not good. It's just that they may not be as fresh compared to those that arrive straight from the waters and into your kitchen on the same day.
Regardless of where you are going to buy your lobster from, remember to always check out the reviews and thoughts from especially the regular customers.
How is lobster packed for delivery to consumers?
A single lobster is typically placed in a mesh or breathable bag to keep it secure. This prevents movement and reduces stress during transport.
For example, Maine Lobster company Lobster Anywhere packs their lobster in rock seaweed or seawater soaked newspaper. This package is then put in a reusable Styrofoam cooler with ice cold gel packs before being shipped.
Pearl Lobster: The most expensive lobster?
According to an analysis by Rene Anna Kim and Clancy Morgan at Business Insider, the price of wild-caught pearl lobsters was found to be more expensive compared to the price of Maine lobsters. By the time they published the findings in January 2023, the average price of pearl lobsters, fresh from the fishermen in Indonesian waters, was $99 per kilogram. This was way more compared to the price of Maine lobster then at the same place. So as you can imagine, by the time this lobster hits the retail shelves or restaurants in the US, the price will be way up there.