U.S. shrimp imports totaled 127.7 million pounds in November, up an impressive 8.7 percent from November 2009, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported on Thursday.
Shrimp imports were still on track in 2010 to exceed 2009’s total of 1.21 billion pounds, albeit slightly. Through the first 11 months of 2010, they were up 1.3 percent to 1.12 billion pounds.
It’s been an up-and-down year for shrimp imports. But the second half of 2010 was definitely better than the first half. Shrimp imports have increased in five of the last six months through November. Prior to June, they had dropped in 10 of the last 11 months.
Among the top eight suppliers, only two — Indonesia and Mexico — watched their shrimp exports to the U.S. market fall in the first 11 months of 2010. Imports from Indonesia were down 13.9 percent to 123.1 million pounds, while imports from Mexico were down 44.2 percent to 46.8 million pounds.
Imports from Thailand, by far the No. 1 shrimp supplier to the U.S. market, were up 5.8 percent in the first 11 months of 2010 to just over 400 million pounds.
Shrimp imports for December and all of 2010 are scheduled to be released on 11 February.
