1Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8657, 2Kinki University, Nakamachi, Nara 631-8505, Japan
This study econometrically analyzed the price formation of six major fish species in the Japanese seafood supply chain, using the method of asymmetric price transmission. The estimation results indicated that, at the wholesale markets in consumption areas, asymmetric price transmission due to the existence of a non-competitive market was found for sardine and skipjack tuna, and asymmetric price transmission due to the characteristics of the goods was found for Pacific saury and red sea bream. The empirical results also indicated that, in the retail market, asymmetric price transmission was found for all of the fish species, not due to the non-competitiveness of the market, but due to the characteristics of the goods such as perishability.