India’s Shrimp Export: On March 8, 2026, Andhra Pradesh’s shrimp industry emerged as a cornerstone of India’s seafood export economy, showcasing resilience amid global trade challenges. A sharp decline in shipments to the United States between April and November 2025, marked by nearly a 15% reduction in volume, tested the sector’s stability due to steep tariff barriers compressing margins and disrupting order flows.
The downturn, however, prompted a swift market diversification strategy. Non-U.S. destinations accounted for nearly 57% of shrimp shipments, indicating a structural shift in Andhra Pradesh’s export orientation. The European Union, China, Vietnam, Russia, and the United Kingdom absorbed increased volumes, stabilizing procurement prices for farmers and ensuring processing plants continued operating at viable capacity levels.
Agriculture Minister K. Atchannaidu highlighted the state’s deep integration of aquaculture production, processing infrastructure, and global market linkages. Andhra Pradesh has consistently led India’s marine exports over the past five years, contributing significantly to the national export volume.
In FY 2024-25, preliminary figures showed India exporting 16,98,170 MT of seafood, valued at ₹62,408.45 crore (US$ 7.45 billion), with Andhra Pradesh topping the export value rankings among states, recording about US$ 2.53 billion in seafood exports. The state’s dominance is particularly pronounced in farmed shrimp, which commands premium pricing in global markets.
Recent tariff relief in the U.S. market, reducing duties from earlier cumulative levels of 50–58% to about 18%, is expected to improve processor margins from 5–5.5% to 7–8%. Combined with sustained diversification, this positions Andhra Pradesh’s aquaculture sector to consolidate its leadership while strengthening rural incomes and export resilience.
Published in SouthAsianDesk, March 9, 2026
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