U.S. shrimp imports increased for the fourth consecutive month in June, topping 94.2 million pounds, up 5 percent from June 2008, according to figures the National Marine Fisheries Service released this week.
In the first half of 2009, shrimp imports totaled 515.9 million pounds, down just 0.9 percent from the same six-month period in 2008. Through May, they were down 2.1 percent, to 421.4 million pounds.
Of the United States' top five shrimp suppliers, only two - Vietnam and Thailand - saw increases in June. After being down 14.1 percent in May, imports from Vietnam rose 33.6 percent in June, to 7.4 million pounds. After being down 0.7 percent in May, imports from Thailand jumped 13.1 percent in June, to 33.7 million pounds.
The other top three shrimp suppliers - Indonesia, China and Ecuador - watched their exports to the United States drop 22.4 percent, 25.5 percent and 16 percent, respectively, in June.
The five countries represented nearly three-quarters of total U.S. shrimp imports in 2008, which exceeded 1.24 billion pounds.
August 16, 2009
