Collectively, the 28 member states of the EU imported more than EUR 4 billion (USD 4.5 billion) worth of shrimp from third-countries last year with over half of this value coming from warmwater varieties of the popular crustaceans.
According to the latest statistics on the trade compiled by the European Market Observatory for Fisheries and Aquaculture Products (EUMOFA), the bloc’s warmwater shrimp exports achieved an import value of almost EUR 2.2 billion (USD 2.5 billion) in 2016, an increase of 3 percent based on an average price of EUR 7.77 (USD 8.70) per kg. In volume terms, this sector amounted to 280,000 metric tons (MT).
Spain was the No. 1 market within the EU for warmwater shrimp last year, spending EUR 492 million (USD 551.1 million) on the product, up 7 percent compared with the previous year. It was closely followed by France with EUR 490 million (USD 548.8 million) worth of shrimp, an increase of 8 percent, and the United Kingdom with EUR 287 million (USD 321.4 million), a rise of 16 percent.
These products were all imported in frozen formats, with Ecuador (EUR 621 million, USD 695.5 million), India (EUR 407 million, USD 455.9 million) and Vietnam (EUR 244 million, USD 273.3 million) leading the way. EUMOFA highlighted that imports from Ecuador and Vietnam increased significantly in the past year – rising 11 percent and 10 percent respectively.
Alongside these products, the EU also imported more than EUR 1.7 billion (USD 1.9 billion) worth of miscellaneous shrimp fishery products, a decrease of 8 percent compared with 2015. The main market was again Spain, which bought in EUR 433 million (USD 485 million) worth of these items, followed by Italy with EUR 149 million (USD 166.9 million).
Argentina and Vietnam were the main suppliers of these products, providing 78,000 MT and 25,000 MT to the EU worth EUR 463 million (USD 518.7 million) and EUR 225 million (USD 252 million) respectively.
Lastly, the EU imported EUR 179 million (USD 200.5 million) worth of coldwater shrimp from third-countries, which equated to around 47,000 MT. The value and volume for 2016 represented increases of 13 percent and 8 percent compared with the previous year.
Denmark was by far the largest EU market for the species, accounting for 87 percent of the total import value. In 2016, Denmark’s imports of coldwater shrimp totaled EUR 156 million (USD 174.7 million), 18 percent more than in 2015, with an average price of EUR 3.61 (USD 4.04) per kg.
Greenland was the main supplier of the EU’s coldwater shrimp, accounting for 70 percent of the total import value last year. This equated to EUR 126 million (USD 141.1 million), up 28 percent compared to 2015. Canada was the second largest supplier to the market with EUR 24 million (USD 26.9 million) worth of product, a decrease of 32 percent from 2015.
