Ecuador's shrimp exports reach $6.5612 billion in first 8 months, up 18.1%; canned fish exports fall to $1.17 billion, down 5.5%

According to the trade balance bulletin by product released by the Central Bank of Ecuador (BCE), Ecuador's shrimp exports earned $6.5612 billion from January to August 2026, up 18.1% from the same period in 2025. The sector's share of Ecuador's total non-oil exports rose to 32.6% from 29% a year earlier.

In contrast to shrimp, canned fish exports over the same period totaled $1.17 billion, down 5.5% from January to August 2025, with their share of the non-oil export structure falling from 6.5% to 5.8%.

The bulletin also reports the "tuna and fish" category separately; exports in this category amounted to $240 million, down 2.6% year on year. The Central Bank of Ecuador explained that this statistical classification does not specifically refer to processed canned tuna, but is a separate tariff classification distinct from conventional canned fish products.

These two export categories showed divergent trends in the first 8 months of 2026, during which Ecuador's total non-oil exports stood at $20.1509 billion, up 5.2% year on year. According to the bulletin, shrimp exports were the main driver of the country's export growth, while the decline in canned fish weighed on the overall growth rate of non-traditional goods exports.

The bulletin records changes in export value and does not directly explain the specific causes of the divergence between the two industry chains. Market analysts noted that a more detailed assessment of international price changes, actual shipment volumes, destination markets and the availability of raw materials for processing is still needed to determine the medium-term direction of the two processing sectors.

According to the August 2026 import and export statistics of the General Administration of Customs of China, China imported 73,684.42 tonnes of warm-water shrimp (penaeid shrimp, including whiteleg shrimp and black tiger shrimp, under customs commodity classification HS 0306.17) from Ecuador that month, with an import value of $320,471,897.0 and an average import price of $4,349.25 per tonne.