After holding tight through months of economic damage caused the coronavirus’ spread, U.S. shrimp imports dropped significantly in May.
Total shrimp imports to the U.S. fell to 88.4 million pounds, or 37,814 metric tons (MT), in May, with India record more than a 50 percent drop in its shipments, according to the latest figures from NOAA. In April, the U.S. imported 113.8 million pounds, or 51,634 MT of shrimp, and in March, it took in 114.1 million pounds, or 51,761 MT.
A year ago, the United States imported 118.1 million pounds (53,580 MT) of shrimp in May 2019.
India’s shrimp shipments in May fell to 19 million pounds (8,600 MT), down from 49 million pounds, or 22,229 MT, of shrimp to the U.S. in April 2020, representing a 61 percent decline. India was put under lockdown beginning in late March by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a means of preventing the spread of the coronavirus, and sector experts have told SeafoodSource many farmers in India have been reluctant to stock ponds due to the uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 outbreak.
Due to India’s decline, Indonesia became the top supplier of shrimp to the U.S. in May. Indonesia sent 28.7 million pounds (13,006 MT) to the U.S. in May, down slightly from 30.4 million pounds (13,804 MT) it was responsible for in April 2020 but up from the 26 million pounds (11,772 MT) it shipped it May 2019.
Ecuador, the number-three shrimp supplier to the U.S., sent 12.7 million pounds (5,773 MT) of shrimp to the U.S. in May, down slightly from the 13.1 million pounds (5,950 MT) it shipped in April 2020. Its total is down more significantly from May 2019, when it delivered 17 million pounds (7,718 MT) of shrimp to the U.S.
Vietnam, next on the list, exported 7.3 million pounds (3,316 MT) of shrimp to the U.S. in May, up marginally from the 7 million pounds (3,174 MT) it sent in April 2020, but down from the 8 million pounds (3,632 MT) it sent in April 2019.
Thailand, number five on the list of top shrimp exporters to the U.S., sent 5.9 million pounds (2,654 MT) of shrimp, up slightly from the 5.6 million pounds (2,556 MT) it shipped in April. However, its total was also down from a year ago; It sent 6.8 million pounds (3,066 MT) in May 2019.
Argentina, a supplier of the increasingly popular Argentine red shrimp, shipped 2.7 million pounds (1,211 MT), up from the 2.2 million pounds (990 MT) it sent in April 2019 but down from the 2.9 million pounds (1,316 MT) in May 2019. That was enough to move it past China on the list of top U.S. shrimp suppliers, as China’s month-over-month total fell nearly 44 percent from 4.2 million pounds (1,902 MT) it sent in May 2019 to 2.4 million pounds (1,069 MT) in May 2020. Still, that figure was up from April 2020, when it shipped just (794 MT) of shrimp to the United States.
Mexico, Peru, and Guyana rounded out the top 10 list of U.S. shrimp suppliers in May 2020.
Photo courtesy of sasimoto/Shutterstock
