Despite issues with shrimp imports with banned antibiotics from India, the United States is importing much more shrimp than it did from the South Asian country than last year.
According to the latest data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. shrimp imports from India jumped 40 percent in August 2016 compared to August 2015.
While the U.S. imported 14,754 metric tons worth USD 132.4 million (EUR 118.6 million) in August 2015, the country imported 20,815 metric tons and USD 200.5 million (EUR 179.5 million) worth in August 2016.
India shrimp imports have come under fire by U.S.-based trade groups, including the Southern Shrimp Alliance, since the majority of shrimp imports stopped by the Food and Drug Administration in July were from India. Indian companies. Imports from several prominent Indian export firms, including Jagadeesh Marine Exports, Five Star Marine Exports Pvt. Ltd., RDR Exports and Kay Kay Exports were flagged by the FDA in July.
Out of the 197 seafood shipments that FDA refused entry to in July, 18 (9.1 percent) were shrimp products that contained banned antibiotics. And, from January through July 2016, FDA has refused 79 shipments because of veterinary drug residues.
There have been 112 total shrimp lines – 80 from India – that were refused entry for banned antibiotics from January 2016 through September 2016.
However, in September, the FDA refused entry on only two (1.7 percent) shrimp shipments because of banned antibiotics, the lowest number of shrimp refusals due to banned antibiotics since January.
The two stopped shipments were from Jagadeesh Marine Exports and China's Yantai Fujiyasu Food Company, which was shipping shrimp into New York.
