Imports of Shrimp to the USA up 3%.. ECUADOR #2 Importer to the USA!

February 15, 2012

United States

Washington DC—Shrimp Imports up 3% in 2011

At nearly 1.27 billion pounds, USA shrimp imports finished 2011 up 3 percent from 2010, according to government figures released on February 11, 2012, the second straight year that shrimp imports have increased.

The 2011 total topped 2010’s record of 1.23 billion pounds even though imports from the United States’ No. 1 shrimp supplier, Thailand, were down.  Imports from Thailand finished 2011 down 8.3 percent from 2010, at 407.8 million pounds.  Also, imports from China and Vietnam were down 10.6 percent and 6.2 percent, respectively, in 2011.

Picking up the slack were Indonesia, Ecuador, Mexico, India and Malaysia.  Last year, shrimp imports from those five countries were up 15.1 percent, 13.5 percent, 30.5 percent, 59.5 percent and 20.2 percent, respectively, from 2010.  Ecuador, the United States’ No. 2 shrimp supplier in 2011, chipped in 162.4 million pounds, while Indonesia, the No. 1 shrimp supplier, shipped 155.1 million pounds.

At around 4 pounds, shrimp represents roughly one-quarter of USA per-capita seafood consumption.

Sources: 1. Seafood Source.  U.S. Shrimp Imports up 3% in 2011.  February 14, 2012.  2. United States Department of Agriculture Webpage.  Economic Research Service.  Data Sets.  Aquaculture Data.  February 15, 2012.