U.S. shrimp imports rose marginally year over year in September – from 155.6 million pounds, or 70,587 metric tons (MT), in 2023 to 156.5 million pounds (70,967 MT) in 2024, according to NOAA.
The nine-month period from January to September 2024, however, saw a year-over-year decline of 29.4 percent in U.S. shrimp imports, with totals down from 1.7 billion pounds (785,836 MT) from 1.2 billion pounds (547,989 MT) a year prior.
India remained the nation’s top importer in September, with a 2.13 percent increase year over year – from 63.9 million pounds (28,992 MT) in 2023 to 65.3 million pounds (29,624 MT) in 2024.
Ecuador took the second spot again, though its imports dropped 20.3 percent in September to 33.9 million pounds (15,385 MT) from 40.8 million pounds (18,504 MT) in September 2023.
Indonesia was the third-largest shrimp importer to the U.S., experiencing a 12 percent increase from 21.1 million pounds (11,735 MT) in September 2023 to 24.2 million pounds (10,945 MT) in September 2024.
Vietnam saw a 17.5 percent year-over-year increase in its September exports – from 15.4 million pounds (6,965 MT) to 18.6 million pounds (8,440 MT). Thailand and Argentina came next in September import totals and both saw small declines – from 6.4 million pounds (2,898 MT) to 5.2 million pounds (2,334 MT) for Thailand and from 3.2 million pounds (1,430 MT) to 2.8 million pounds (1,291 MT) for Argentina.
No other nation sold more than 2.2 million pounds (1,000 MT) of shrimp exports to the U.S. in September.
The Southern Shrimp Alliance (SSA) reported on 4 November that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) refused 57 seafood entry lines in October, of which five related to banned antibiotics. One additional entry line of shrimp from September, which had not been previously reported, was also added.
Three entry line refusals which were initially reported for January 2024 have been deleted by the FDA. These were for refusals of shrimp exported by Calcutta Seafoods Private Limited of India.
With these updated numbers, entry line refusals of shrimp for banned antibiotics in 2024 hav reached the second highest annual amount reported by the FDA since 2017.
The FDA reported three additional entry line refusals for banned antibiotics in September and five entry line refusals in October from two Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP)-certified shrimp processors in Vietnam and Bangladesh: Vietnam-based Thuan Phuoc Seafoods and Trading Corporation and Bangladesh-based Apex Foods.
The FDA also reported refusing entry lines of short-weighted Indonesian shrimp in October. Lines of shrimp from PT First Marine Seafoods and PT Bumi Pangan Utama were refused for “added bulk.” Both companies are four-star BAP certified.
