U.S. Representative Clay Higgins (R-Louisiana) has asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to purchase more domestic shrimp through the federal government’s Section 32 program, which purchases surplus products to support American producers.
Higgins said the financial support is critical for Louisiana’s shrimp industry, which has been hit hard by competition from high volumes of imported shrimp.
“Louisiana's shrimp industry is integral to both our state and national economies, supporting approximately 15,000 jobs and generating USD 1.3 billion [EUR 1.1 billion] in economic activity each year throughout the state. According to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Louisiana shrimpers harvest around 70 million pounds of shrimp annually. However, these 70 million pounds of shrimp are a small fraction of total U.S. shrimp consumption, with imports accounting for nearly 90 percent,” Higgins said in a 28 January letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins.
Higgins and other lawmakers representing Southern states with large shrimp sectors have long decried the flood of foreign shrimp domestic shrimpers have to compete with.
“Our domestic shrimpers face unrighteous competition from the billions of pounds of inferior, imported shrimp that cross our borders each year from nations such as India and Indonesia, which undercut U.S. producers,” Higgins said. “In fact, recent reports show the recall of potentially radioactive imported Indonesian shrimp across scores of U.S. states.”
In his letter, Higgins asked Rollins to purchase wild-caught Gulf shrimp “with priority for smaller-grade, peeled, undeveined product” under USDA’s Section 32 program, which enables the department to buy surplus food and then distribute it to schools, food banks, and other government nutrition programs. In 2023, USDA purchased USD 36 million (EUR 33 million) worth of wild-caught Gulf shrimp, and in 2025, the department purchased USD 16 million (EUR 14 million) worth of Oregon pink shrimp under Section 32.
“In prior years, [Section 32] has helped stabilize domestic shrimp prices and given shrimpers a lifeline during challenging times for the industry. Shrimping is a vital part of our economy and certainly worth supporting and conserving for future generations,” Higgins said. “I fully support the continuation of this program and respectfully ask that you give your full and fair consideration to this request.”
