October 15, 2010

US shrimp imports rebound in August

US shrimp imports continued to bounce back in August, totalling 123.9 million pounds, up 9.6% from August 2009, the biggest monthly increase so far this year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced on Thursday (Oct 14).

After falling in 10 of 11 months, US shrimp imports have increased in each of the last three months (June, July and August).

In addition, US shrimp imports through August were up over last year for the first time this year. In the first eight months of 2010, shrimp imports amounted to 731.6 million pounds, compared to 729.2 million pounds during the same period in 2009. Last year, shrimp imports reached 1.21 billion pounds.

Among the top six suppliers, the biggest increase in August came from China, which watched its shrimp exports to the US market jump 25.1%, to 10.7 million pounds. Through August, US shrimp imports from China were up 8.3%, to 59.4 million pounds.

Once again, the biggest drop came from Mexico, which saw its shrimp exports to the US market plunge 97%, to a mere 146,000 pounds. Through July, US shrimp imports from Mexico are down 33.3%, to 23.6 million pounds.

Wild Mexican shrimp has been subject to a US import ban since in April, when the USDA cited a limited number of Mexican trawlers fishing in the Gulf of Mexico and Sea of Cortez for failing to use turtle excluder devices (TEDs) properly and inadvertently trapping sea turtles.

Though it's been a tough year for Indonesia, the country's shrimp exports to the US market were up 18.6%, to 14 million pounds, in August. But in the first eight months of 2010, they were still down 17.4%, to 91.7 million pounds.

US shrimp imports from Thailand, by far the No. 1 supplier to the US market, were up 2.3% in August, to 43.1 million pounds, and were up 7.8% in the first eight months of 2010, to 257.6 million pounds.

Up-and-coming Malaysia continued its ascent, as the country's shrimp exports to the US market were up a whopping 139.3% in August, to 7.2 million pounds, and were up 43.2% in the first eight months of 2010, to 31.8 million pounds.

Typically, US shrimp imports pick up in mid-summer before surging in late summer/early fall in time for the hectic winter holiday season.