In the first-quarter of this year, the United States imported 205,770 tonnes of shrimp, representing a 13% increase on the corresponding period of 2024, according to new analysis from Shrimp Insights.
These imports were valued at over US$ 1.7 billion – a 22% year-on-year rise.
The increase in imports were mainly achieved through imports of peeled frozen (+19%), cooked and marinated (+34%), and breaded (+11%) shrimp, while imports of frozen shell-on shrimp dropped by 6%, Shrimp Insights noted.
It confirmed the main supplying countries contributing to the growth were India (80,743 tonnes, +20%), Indonesia (34,566 tonnes, +12%), Vietnam (12,277 tonnes, +10%) and Thailand (6,761 tonnes, +42%), Mexico (+38%). Ecuador’s volume, meanwhile, dropped 2% to 55,409 tonnes.
While the Q1 volume grew, the average import value stagnated and even slightly declined. This is the case for Ecuador, shell-on, and India, peeled.
Shrimp Insights said this raises the question of whether the increase in volume has been demand- or supply-driven and whether the market is building another inventory that could at some point result in oversupply and downward price pressure.
Nevertheless, prices were still considerably above the prices of the same period in 2024.
In 2024, the United States imported 762,804 tonnes of shrimp, representing a 3% decrease from the previous year and a 15% drop from the trade peak of 2021. The main suppliers of shrimp products to the market last year were India with 294,333 tonnes (-1% year-on-year), Ecuador with 187,040 tonnes (-9%) and Indonesia with 134,803 tonnes (-8%).
