With China banning Indian seafood import from 1 June, exporters have completely stopped consignments from the last week of April, as it takes three-four weeks for these to reach China.
Exporters told Business Standard commerce ministry officials had asked them to “wait and watch,” but with no assurance coming by, they had stopped sending further consignments. “We are afraid that if our consignments reach after the deadline, they may be rejected. So, it is safe to stop exports until the issue is sorted,” an exporter from Gujarat said.
The ban has majorly hit the seafood sector in Gujarat, as 70 percent of exports to China are from the state. The average annual export to China from Gujarat is 90,000 metric tons (11 percent of total exports), valued at Rs 1,151 crore, mainly of low-value fish items. These items have very little domestic demand.
