U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi) has introduced a bill to raise tariffs on shrimp from Ecuador in a bid to discourage imports and support the domestic shrimp sector.
“Not much has changed since the federal government found that subsidized Ecuadorian shrimp contributed to material injury to the U.S. shrimp industry, except that Ecuador has only increased its shipments into the American market. As a result, Mississippi shrimpers and their counterparts across the Gulf face greater downward pressure on the prices they can get for their products,” Hyde-Smith said in a release. “The Ecuador Shrimp Tariff Act would work to level the playing field so that American shrimpers and processors can continue to compete and grow.”
If passed, the Ecuador Shrimp Tariff Act would raise tariffs on Ecuadorian shrimp imports in phases, eventually topping out at a 40 percent duty rate on 1 January 2029. The bill would also impose an additional USD 0.10 (EUR 0.08) per kilogram duty on those shrimp imports; the amount raised would go toward inspections of imported shrimp and catfish.
According to Hyde-Smith’s office, Ecuador accounts for more than 40 percent of U.S. shrimp imports, with the country exporting roughly 316 million pounds to the U.S. over the first six months of 2026.
“The Louisiana Shrimp Association is proud to stand in support of U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith’s newly introduced Ecuador Shrimp Tariff Act, legislation aimed at addressing the tremendous amount of imported Ecuadorian shrimp entering the U.S. market,” the Louisiana Shrimp Association said in a social media post announcing its support of the bill.
“These are issues the Louisiana Shrimp Association has continued to raise as our domestic shrimp industry struggles with extremely low dockside prices and enormous volumes of foreign imports,” the association added. “Our American shrimpers need meaningful action, and we appreciate every effort in Washington that keeps the survival of our domestic shrimp industry at the forefront.”
In addition to raising tariffs, Hyde-Smith said her bill would strengthen country-of-origin labeling for whole cooked shrimp, whole cooked crawfish, and some cooked shrimp and crawfish sections.
The legislation mirrors the India Shrimp Tariff Act, legislation Hyde-Smith also sponsored that targets Indian shrimp imports. The bill was first introduced in 2023, but Hyde-Smith reintroduced it in September 2025. Congress has not taken up or considered the bill in the year since, however.
The bill is one of several that have been put forth by U.S. legislators to discourage foreign shrimp production and imports.
Hyde-Smith is one of the lawmakers backing the Save Our Shrimpers Act, which would instruct U.S. representatives at international monetary institutions to oppose funding for foreign shrimp aquaculture and processing. That bill was passed by the U.S. House in May.
In June 2026, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana) introduced the Home Market Restoration Act of 2026, which would limit imports of crawfish, shrimp, and catfish by setting higher duty rates after a quota is reached.
