The U.S. House Committee on Financial Services voted to advance the Save Our Shrimpers Act, legislation that would require U.S. executive directors at international financial institutions to oppose funding for foreign shrimp operations and development.
“After pushing this America First legislation for nearly two years, I’m proud that my bill, the Save Our Shrimpers Act, passed the House Financial Services Committee,” U.S. Representative Troy Nehls (R-Texas) said in a press release. “Shrimpers across the country, including shrimpers in my district, are struggling to stay afloat due to an excess of foreign shrimp flooding our markets. Sadly, our tax dollars have been used to bankroll foreign shrimp operations, which are driving American shrimpers out of business. My legislation directs the United States to oppose projects that use hardworking Americans' tax dollars to fund foreign shrimp farms and operations and puts American shrimpers first. Thank you to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who supported my legislation.”
The U.S. shrimp sector has pressured the federal government to ensure its representatives at international institutions like the World Bank or the Asian Development Bank to use their positions to block funding for shrimp projects in other countries, arguing that those efforts use American funding to undermine U.S. shrimp producers. Imports have posed a difficult challenge for American producers, with imported shrimp often costing far less than domestic shrimp.
“In the 1980s, domestic shrimp production accounted for 50 percent of U.S. consumption. While shrimp has become more popular, there are fewer American shrimpers and tighter margins today than there were four decades ago despite a substantially larger market. The growth has been captured by imports, which now account for over 90 percent of domestic consumption. These imports, however, do not always operate on a level playing field. In 2023, an anti-dumping inquiry by the Commerce Department found that Thai and Vietnamese shrimp were being dumped into the U.S. market,” U.S. Representative Andy Barr (R-Kentucky) said in support of the Save Our Shrimpers Act during a 4 March House Committee on Financial Services markup session.
The Save Our Shrimpers Act would codify that U.S. executive directors at international financial institutions must vote against funding for shrimp projects in other countries.
“Under current law, our executive directors at the international financial institutions are already required to oppose financial support to bolster foreign commodities that cause substantial harm to American suppliers. HR2071 codifies a policy of opposition to foreign shrimp projects with appropriate waiver and sunset provisions,” Barr said.
The legislation, first introduced in 2024, was amended by the committee to expire 7 years after it was enacted and to include a waiver allowing representatives to ignore the requirement if doing so was in the national interest.
“Congressman Troy Nehls has stood resolutely behind shrimpers in Texas and throughout the Gulf of America and South Atlantic,” Southern Shrimp Alliance Director Blake Price said in a statement. “For almost two years, Congressman Nehls has fought to push the Save Our Shrimpers Act forward. While there is much more to be done before this becomes the law of the land, American shrimpers are grateful to him, to all of our Congressional allies that supported the bill, and to the members of the House Financial Services Committee for achieving this important next step.”
