Ecuador exported 104,201 tonnes of shrimp in September 2025 – some 9% more than the country shipped to overseas markets in the corresponding month of 2024, finds new industry analysis from Shrimp Insights. At the same time, the value of these exports increased 22% year-on-year to US$571 million.
For the first nine months of this year, Ecuador exported a total 1,038,208 tonnes of shrimp products – up 14% year-on-year, with an overall value of $5.51 billion, representing a 23% increase compared to the same period of 2024.
With regards to markets, China, which is Ecuador’s largest shrimp market by volume, imported 44,486 tonnes of the country’s shrimp in September – down 8% year-on-year, while the cumulative total for the January through September period was 495,469 tonnes, representing a slight decrease compared to the same period in 2024.
The European Union, which has been Ecuador’s fastest-growing market in 2025, imported 22,280 tonnes of shrimp from Ecuador in September, which was 29% higher than in the corresponding month of last year. Total imports between January and September amounted to 202,925 tonnes – up 33% year-on-year.
Ecuador also exported 24,358 tonnes of shrimp to the United States, marking a 71% year-on-year increase. Between January and September, its exports to the US totalled 196,794 tonnes, up 19% compared with the corresponding period of 2024.
Other notable markets included Russia with 1,624 tonnes of imports in September (-50% year-on-year) and a January through September volume of 19,094 tonnes (-12%), while Japan brought in 1,600 tonnes (+36%) and 14,493 tonnes (+39%), respectively.
Shrimp Insights noted that Ecuador maintained its strong export growth in September, continuing the positive trend seen throughout 2025. “While shipments to China declined further, exports to the EU, US, and Japan expanded sharply, confirming an ongoing diversification of Ecuador’s market base. The combination of higher volumes and rising export values underscores the resilience of Ecuador’s shrimp industry in an increasingly competitive global market,” it stated.
