Shrimp imports into the United States dropped 14 percent year over year in June 2024.
June’s U.S. shrimp import total sunk to 117.2 million pounds, or 53,179 metric tons (MT), down from 136.3 million pounds (61,816 MT) in June 2023, and 140.6 million pounds (63,768 MT) in May 2024.
U.S. imports are now down 11,000 MT year-to-date at 771.3 million pounds (349,841 MT) between January and June 2024, versus 794.6 million pounds (360,426 MT) in the same time period of 2023.
India, the top shrimp provider to the U.S., saw its exports drop nearly 15 percent year over year in June to 43.7 million pounds (19,823 MT) from 51.3 million pounds (23,274 MT) in June 2023. Ecuador’s U.S. exports dropped 20 percent to 30 million pounds (13,610 MT) from 37.6 million pounds (17,045 MT). And Indonesia’s exports fell from 22.3 million pounds (10,093 MT) to 20.3 million pounds (9,192 MT).
Other prominent shrimp-exporting nations also saw their U.S. shipments decline. Vietnam’s exports fell from 12.2 million pounds (5,518 MT) in June 2023 to 11.1 million pounds (5,049 MT) in June 2024. Thailand’s exports dropped from 4.8 million pounds (2,176 MT) to 4.1 million pounds (1,872 MT). Argentina’s U.S. shrimp shipments dipped slightly from 2.4 million pounds (1,083 MT) to 2.2 million pounds (1,011 MT).
No other nation had more than 1,000 MT of exports to the U.S. in June.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration refused seven entry lines of shrimp for banned antibiotics in July. The FDA has refused 54 entry lines of shrimp due to the presence of veterinary drug residues over the first seven months of 2024.
Zhangzhou Hongwei Foods Co. had five entry lines refused for shrimp contaminated with unsafe additives and veterinary drug residues by the Division of West Coast Imports on 24 July and Fimex, one of Vietnam’s leading shrimp exporters, had two entry lines refused for breaded shrimp contaminated with chloramphenicol by the Division of Northeast Imports on 25 July. Fimex previously received two import alerts for chloramphenicol earlier in 2024.
The Southern Shrimp Alliance, a trade group representing the U.S. shrimp sector, criticized the Best Aquaculture Practices sustainability certification, after finding 91 percent of shrimp shipments rejected by the FDA in 2024 originated from BAP-certified facilities.
“A total of 23 exporters were responsible for the antibiotic-contaminated shrimp, of which 20 companies currently operate under a BAP certification. In addition, FDA added six BAP-certified shrimp facilities to import alerts for banned antibiotics this year,” it said.
