Sea cucumber resources occur in oceans all over the world. Among them, one of the most common temperate species
is the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus, which has been cultured successfully in China. The international
trade structure for sea cucumber is different from that of typical marine products. About 90% of trade volume goes
through Hong Kong and Singapore, while the Chinese mainland is the main consumer market. In most countries,
sea cucumber is mainly exported in its dried form, whereas fresh, salted, and frozen products only take up a small
part of the international trade. In this chapter, the production, import and export trends, and the main markets for all
commercial species of sea cucumbers will be discussed. Emphasis will be placed on the local trade of A. japonicus
in China, Japan, and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Republic of Korea, and on market incentives and
developments in China.