U.S. shrimp imports ended last year up 1.3 percent from 2007, at 562.5 million kilograms, according to figures the National Marine Fisheries Service released this week.
Shrimp imports from Thailand — by far the United States’ No. 1 shrimp supplier — reached 182.4 million kilograms in 2008, down 3.2 percent from the previous year. Imports from Ecuador, China and Mexico were also down 4.7 percent, 1.3 percent and 15 percent, respectively.
However, imports from Indonesia — now the country’s No. 2 shrimp supplier — neared 84 million kilograms, up an astounding 42.2 percent from 2007. Vietnam and Malaysia also picked up the slack, with imports up 21.9 percent and 32 percent, respectively, from the previous year.
Shrimp is America’s favorite seafood item, in terms of annual per-capita consumption.
U.S. Atlantic salmon imports slipped 2.6 percent last year, to 199.2 million kilograms. Imports of Chilean salmon fillets were the culprit, down 7.7 percent from 2007, to 94.9 million kilograms. Chile continues to battle an outbreak of the infectious salmon anemia virus, which has curbed production.
U.S. tilapia imports increased 3.3 percent in 2008, to 179.5 million kilograms, despite harsh weather in China that destroyed multiple tilapia farms there, the United States’ No. 1 tilapia supplier. Frozen tilapia fillet imports from China were down 3.2 percent, to 116.2 million kilograms.
Salmon and tilapia are America’s No. 3 and No. 5 seafood items, in terms of per-capita consumption.
