冻品攻略

Ecuador's May shrimp export value hits record high, US stockpiling ahead of tariffs ignites sales!

Source: 冻品攻略2025-06-20 08:000 views0 comments

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Ecuador's May shrimp export value hits record high, US stockpiling ahead of tariffs ignites sales!

In May 2025, Ecuador's white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) exports once again achieved a historic breakthrough. According to data from Ecuador's National Chamber of Aquaculture (CNA), total white shrimp exports for the month reached 131,525 tonnes, up 5.31% year on year; export value soared to US$667 million, breaking the single-month record of US$654 million set in July 2022 and making it the strongest export month on record.

The direct driver of this export "surge" came from the US market's emergency response to the impending reciprocal tariff policy. Since former President Trump proposed in early April a plan to impose a 10% baseline reciprocal tariff on all countries, US importers began accelerating stockpiling. Among them, India would face a high tariff of 26% and Vietnam as much as 46%, while Ecuador was relatively moderate at only 10%. As the July 9 tariff negotiation deadline approached, US companies, worried about surging import costs, rushed to buy heavily before the changes took effect.

Besides the US, demand in the European market was also strengthening in tandem, with some Ecuadorian exporters trying to ease the impact of persistently weak Chinese demand by increasing the share of shipments to the US and European markets. However, the good times may not last. Due to excessive advance stockpiling, US demand had already fallen sharply by mid-June, and industry insiders expect a period of slowing sales in the second half of the year.

"US purchasing volume has now dropped by about 35%, and the uncertain tariff atmosphere is affecting the pace of imports," one exporter said. "Meanwhile, the Chinese market remains weak, consumer spending is becoming more cautious, and it is still unknown when the overall market will recover."

In China, prices at the farming end are also hardly optimistic. In week 24, farm-gate prices for 60-count white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) in Fujian and Jiangsu had fallen to 26 yuan/kg and 28 yuan/kg respectively, approaching or even falling below the cost line for ordinary farmers. The situation in Guangdong and Guangxi is slightly better, but with ample supply of small-size shrimp, prices remain at low levels.

Nevertheless, as the Zhanjiang Seafood Expo approaches from June 18 to 20, major Ecuadorian manufacturers have raised their overall forward quotations for the Chinese market by about $0.10/kg, showing confidence in the short-term market. Some Ecuadorian exporters noted that, affected by falling temperatures, current production of large-size shrimp is limited, and a temporary supply tightness will emerge for 20/30 and 30/40 sizes.

The Chinese market's reaction has been somewhat mixed. Some importers believe current inventory levels are low, and if demand recovers slightly, wholesale prices will rebound; but others point out that prices may still trend downward after the Zhanjiang Seafood Expo, and market fluctuations are hard to predict.

It is foreseeable that Ecuador's white shrimp, with its flexible export strategy and efficient responsiveness, has once again delivered a stellar report card. But in the face of uncertainty in the global market and continued wait-and-see sentiment on China's consumer side, every step ahead will be more complex and cautious.