Ecuadorean shrimp sales rebound in 2025, surpass oil exports-producers' association

GUAYAQUIL, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Ecuadorean shrimp exports roseate 20% year-on-year successful 2025 to $8.4 billion, a grounds driven by a impermanent boost from higher U.S. tariffs and ‌steady assemblage concern successful caller years, the caput of the aquaculture manufacture relation ‌said.

Last year's level of gross made shrimp Ecuador’s apical export, overtaking lipid successful the state agelong focused connected crude. ​In 2024, shrimp income totaled astir $7 billion, according to the government.

Tariffs imposed connected India, the United States’ biggest shrimp supplier, by the Trump medication helped boost Ecuador's sales, arsenic it faced a little tariff rate, said Jose Antonio Camposano, president of Ecuador’s Aquaculture Chamber.

“It was a marginal effect ‌because it lone impacted the United ⁠States,” Camposano said successful an interrogation implicit the weekend. “We’ll person to spot what happens this twelvemonth with the caller tariffs that are imposed.”

Trump ⁠said aboriginal this period helium had reached a commercialized woody with India that sharply cuts U.S. tariffs connected Indian goods successful speech for New Delhi easing commercialized barriers and halting purchases of Russian ​oil, shifting ​them to the United States and perchance to ​Venezuela.

Camposano said China remains Ecuador’s main ‌shrimp market, buying astir 48% of its output. The assemblage is besides moving to support income to the United States and the European Union and is expanding successful Japan.

“The United States has grown significantly, presently buying 22% oregon 23% successful caller years, and that is due to the fact that the assemblage invested to nutrient value‑added products,” helium said.

Still, exporters stay cautious astir outer factors ‌this year. Camposano said the manufacture aims to clasp ​export volumes dependable and, if possible, execute maturation of ​some 5% successful 2026.

“Market behaviour varies ​depending connected respective factors: our competitors, who are precise aggressive, and the ‌ongoing tariff contented nether President Trump, which ​creates immoderate uncertainty successful ​the United States,” helium added.

Output successful Ecuador’s lipid assemblage has fallen owed to deficiency of concern and different outer factors, with lipid exports falling 19% to $7.18 cardinal ​between January and November past year. ‌Non‑oil exports person been increasing steadily since 2023 and past twelvemonth they reached $29.4 billion, ​up 18.3% from a twelvemonth earlier, according to authorities figures.

(Reporting by Yury ​Garcia, Writing by Alexandra Valencia and Nick Zieminski)