India continues to consolidate its share of the U.S. shrimp market.
India exported 17,749 metric tons (MT) of shrimp to the United States in April 2019, according to NOAA’s Office of Science and Technology. That’s up from 16,689 MT in April 2018, and it brings its total shrimp imports to 74,743 MT thus far in 2019 – up from 65,325 MT over the same time period in 2018, when India’s shrimp exports to the U.S. surpassed 500 million pounds.
At the same time, U.S. shrimp imports from other countries, including Indonesia, Vietnam, China, and Thailand all declined in April. Of the top 10 shrimp exporters to the U.S., only Ecuador and Mexico increased their totals.
Indonesia, the second-largest shrimp exporter to the U.S., brought in 9,544 MT in April, down from 11,101 MT in April 2019. Its U.S. exports so far this year are down from 45,412 MT in January-April 2018 to 38,998 MT in 2019, a 14 percent change.
Ecuador raised its imports in April to 8,606 MT, up from 5,079 MT in the same month a year ago. Its exports in 2019 are up by slightly over 1,000 MT year-on-year, from 24,835 MT in January-April 2018 to 25,942 MT this year.
Vietnam saw a slight dip in its shrimp exports to the U.S. sinking from 3,708 MT in April 2018 to 3,544 MT in April 2019. Its 2019 total is 13,240 MT, down from 14,275 over the first four months of 2018.
China is exporting much less shrimp to the U.S. in 2019 than a year ago, moving from 13,284 MT in the four-month period starting 2018 to 5,702 MT in the current year, a plunge of 57 percent. Its April export total was 1,181 MT, down from 1,999 MT in April 2018.
Thailand also saw a drop in April, from 3,512 MT last year to 2,715 MT this year. Its 2019 shrimp import amount is 11,740 MT, down from 14,818 in the first four months of 2018.
Mexico raised its imports in April to 2,089 MT, up from 994 MT in April 2018. It reached 8,911 MT of imports thus far in 2019, an increase from 6,962 MT in the beginning four months of 2018.
Argentina, Peru, and Honduras all saw drops in their import totals in April 2019 over the same month in 2018.
Overall, the United States imported 2.1 percent more shrimp in April 2019 than it did in April 2018, reaching 48,613 MT, up from 47,589 MT. Thus far in 2019, the U.S. has imported 194,603 MT of shrimp, down from 202,724 MT in January-April 2018.
