Durán, Ecuador-headquartered shrimp processor and exporter Empacreci is evaluating whether to pursue the export of live shrimp in an attempt to further penetrate the U.S. market, Empacreci Packaging Manager Daniel Crespo told SeafoodSource.
“Our main market is Europe, but the United States has a strong representation of our exports as well, making up about 30 percent,” he said.
Empacreci has made several moves over the past few years to be more attracttive in markets like the U.S., such as bolstering its value-added offerings via a state-of-the-art plant that has been operating for three years.
“That added value is in the different types of cuts, as well as freezing and [meeting other] market demands that have been changing,” Crespo said.
Empacreci owns 200 hectares of shrimp farms in Ecuador, Crespo explained, but it also has turned to third parties to purchase shrimp for processing. To ensure a more steady, reliable supply, the company has established a partnership with fellow shrimp farmer, Brito Group, which has 3,000 hectares of shrimp production with an annual harvest of 45 million pounds of shrimp.
“That partnership has allowed us to strengthen our offer because now we’re able to get shrimp faster,” Crespo said. “Previously, we could have issues when a customer would contact us and ask for a specific size; sometimes, we would have to wait two or three days to get it. Now, with this agreement, we can achieve that quickly and fill the orders in the time that the customer needs.”
With this infrastructure now in place, Empacreci is now weighing whether to add live shrimp to its portfolio of offerings.
According to Volza's Global Import data, the world currently imports most of its live shrimp from India, Indonesia, and Vietnam. The three main importing countries of that live shrimp are Japan, the United States, and Vietnam.
Globally, a total of 8,984 shipments of live shrimp were imported from March 2023 to February 2024, surging 65 percent when compared to the previous 12 months, Volza reported.
“The United States market is making a lot of progress; I understand that they are also interested in importing [more] live shrimp. It is a trend that is already being managed here locally,” Crespo said. “We have not yet ventured into that market, but we are also analyzing and looking into it because that’s where the market is going and customers may ask for it at any moment. So, we're trying to strengthen ourselves in that area as well.”
One reason why Empacreci is attempting to further court the U.S. is that it is trying to steer some of its business away from more volatile markets.
China is by far the most popular destination for Ecuadorian shrimp, often making up more than half of the South American country’s total shrimp exports. However, recent reports show a slight slump in the amount of Ecuadorian shrimp heading to China due to weaker market demand, which results in lower prices.
Empacreci was one of the three companies banned from China during the Covid-19 outbreak, with Chinese officials at the time claiming that the internal walls of a container transporting Ecuadorian shrimp tested positive for Covid.
That issue has since passed, and Crespo said the main problem with China now has to do with volatile prices, rather than the defunct ban.
“That market is not convenient for us at the moment, but I understand we are about to reopen there after participating in trade fairs; based on that, we will see how the price does. We are possibly going to resume in that market,” Crespo said.
The United States market also presents challenges, such as being particularly demanding, but Crespo said American customers seek Empacreci products “precisely because our quality is one of the best.”
“In terms of certifications, we are always updating because that market demands a lot from us,” he said. “We are always seeking to improve and maintain our high quality.”
The company is certified by the British Retail Consortium Global Standard, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Aquaculture Stewardship Council, Marine Stewardship Council, and Business Process Management.
Empacreci was founded in 2007, and the company has exported shrimp to nearly 230 clients located in 25 countries, having made over 5,300 deliveries comprising 103,078 metric tons over the past seven years, according to the firm.
Forbes Ecuador ranked Empacreci within its top 10 exporters of Ecuadorian shrimp, having sent abroad some 73 million pounds of shrimp, reaching USD 148.5 million (EUR 142.7 million) for the full year of 2024.
