After increasing in January and February, U.S. shrimp imports appear to be slowing, falling just slightly (0.1 percent) to 78.28 million pounds, compared to 78.33 million pounds in March 2011, according to figures released on Thursday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Fisheries Service.
However, in the first quarter of 2012, U.S. shrimp imports were still up 5.8 percent to 267.5 million pounds, compared to the first quarter of 2011.
Through March, shrimp imports from only two of the United States’ top eight shrimp suppliers dropped. Shrimp imports from Thailand were down 21.9 percent to 66.8 million pounds, while imports from China were down 8.1 percent to 16.1 million pounds.
In the first quarter of 2012, shrimp imports from Ecuador were up 26.7 percent, Indonesia up 16.1 percent, India up 42.1 percent, Vietnam up 9.8 percent, Mexico up 92.4 percent and Malaysia up 8.6 percent.
At nearly 1.27 billion pounds, U.S. shrimp imports finished 2011 up 3 percent from 2010.
Figures for April are due to be released by NOAA Fisheries on 8 June.
