European Union markets imported 205,292 tonnes of raw frozen whiteleg shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) and value-added shrimp from Asia, Latin America and Africa in the first-half of 2025, with the total representing a 21% increase on the corresponding period of last year, confirms new industry analysis from Shrimp Insights.
The organisation notes the growth accelerated from March onwards, with particularly strong imports in May and June, both surpassing 40,000 tonnes and showing year-on-year increases of 27% and 28%, respectively.
It also advised that the import value grew even faster than volume, with the total value reaching over €1.3 billion in the first six months of the year, up 29% year-on-year. The trend was consistent across months, with March standing out at €232 million (+56% year-on-year). June nearly matched May’s record at €245 million (+29%) – giving strong momentum going into the second-half of the year.
The analysis further found that Southern EU markets were the dominant importing region, accounting for 128,336 tonnes in the first-half of 2025, up 22% compared to last year. Growth accelerated from March, with June volumes reaching 27,244 tonnes – a 32% increase year-on-year.
Northwestern EU also showed solid growth, importing 71,381 tonnes between January and June, an increase of 20% year-on-year. While February volumes dipped slightly below 2024 levels, strong growth in March, May and June more than offset this decline, Shrimp Insights said.
In contrast, Eastern EU imports remained subdued, with a total 5,574 tonnes imported in the first six months, a decline of 5% compared to the same period last year. Monthly trends were volatile, with steep drops in February and May but a notable rebound in June when imports rose 41% year-on-year.
In terms of products, raw frozen Penaeus shrimp accounted for the majority of imports, with the first-half imports reaching 179,248 tonnes – up 20% year-on-year. Growth was strongest from March to June, with monthly increases of around 30% compared to 2024. June volumes of 36,108 tonnes also marked a new high for the period.
Value-added shrimp imports in the period totalled 26,044 tonnes, which was 23% higher than last year. January saw robust growth at +61% year-on-year, while momentum moderated in subsequent months. Even so, imports remained consistently above 4,000 tonnes per month from March onwards.
With regards to exporters, Ecuador remained the largest supplier by far, shipping 114,763 tonnes to the EU in the first-half of 2025 – a 39% increase year-on-year. After a slower January, exports surged from February onwards, with June volumes up 61% compared to last year and marking the highest monthly level to-date.
India strengthened its position as the second-largest supplier, with 25,572 tonnes in the same period, up 25% year-on-year. Vietnam followed with 24,149 tonnes – up 22% year-on-year, while Venezuela experienced a sharp decline of 47% year-on-year to 11,245 tonnes and Bangladesh’s exports jumped 18% to 5,225 tonnes.
