India topped the list of the top shrimp-exporting countries to the U.S. in April 2021, but its total dropped year-over-year, while Ecuador and Indonesian made big gains.
India sent 41 million pounds, or 18,585 metric tons (MT) of shrimp to the U.S. in April, down from 49 million pounds (22,229 MT) in April 2020 and from the 43.4 million pounds (19,673 MT) it shipped to the U.S. in March 2021, according to the latest NOAA statistics.
Indonesia sent 35.6 million pounds (16,156 MT) of shrimp to the U.S. in April, up from 30.4 million pounds (13,804 MT) year-over-year and from 35.4 million pounds (16,074 MT) month-over-month. Indonesia’s government has targeted the United States as a larger destination market for its shrimp as part of a larger goal of upping its seafood exports by 16 percent in 2021.
Ecuador shipped 33.9 million pounds (15,376 MT) of shrimp to the U.S. in April 2021, up from 13.1 million pounds (5,950 MT) in April 2020 and 14.8 million pounds (14,826 MT) in April 2020. Once heavily reliant on China as the preeminent market for its shrimp, Ecuador’s leading shrimp companies – backed by the Ecuadorian government – are accelerating a shift toward serving the U.S. market.
Vietnam was fourth among the top shrimp suppliers to the U.S., sending 7.9 million pounds (3,574 MT) of product in April 2021, up from 7 million pounds (3,147 MT) in April 2020, but down from 8.8 million pounds (3,988 MT) in March 2021.
Thailand was fifth on the list, shipping 4.6 million pounds (2,088 MT) in April, down from 5.6 million pounds (2,556 MT) a year prior, and from 5.5 million pounds (2,508 MT) in March 2021.
Mexico was the only other country to top 1,000 MT in exports, hitting 4.3 million pounds (1,951 MT) in April, up from 1.2 million pounds (560 MT) in April 2020, but down from 4.4 million pounds (2,007 MT) in March 2021.
Despite setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and increasing competition from Ecuador, all of Asia’s top shrimp-exporting nations should expect continued growth, according to Willem van der Pijl, the founder of Shrimp Insights, a shrimp market analytical firm.
Photo courtesy of Koss13/Shutterstock
