Hike in tariff: seafood exports to U.S. drop by 25%

After U.S. President Donald Trump increased tariff on marine products from India to 50% in August last year, seafood exports to that country from Andhra Pradesh has been hit hard.

This slump has affected farmers; seed and feed manufacturers; hatcheries; packers; drug manufacturers; lab owners; technicians; ice factories; and exporters. According to the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), India shipped 13,69,264 tonnes of seafood in 2021-22, 17,35,286 tonnes in 2022-23 and 17,18,602 tonnes in 2023-24, valued ₹60,523 crore.

The U.S. share was about 35% of the total Indian seafood exports. Andhra Pradesh, with its 974 km of coast, contributes over 32% of the total Indian seafood exports,” an MPEDA official said, seeking anonymity.

“With the U.S. market down, exporters aren’t buying stocks from aqua farmers anymore. In some areas, the farmers have announced temporary crop holiday,” says Bhimavaram farmer K. Nageswara Rao.

Speaking to The Hindu on Sunday (January 4), Godavari Mega Aqua Aqua Food Park vice-president Uddaraju Jogi Anand Varma said exports to the U.S. dropped by about 25% over the past few months. “We employ thousands of workers from Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Bihar among others at Godavari Mega Aqua Food Park at Tundurru village in West Godavari district,” Mr. Anand Varma said.

Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI) Andhra Pradesh president K. Anand Kumar said exporters are now searching for new markets in China, Vietnam, European Union (EU) and Russia. “Shipments to the EU and China have increased over the past few months. We request the Centre to intervene and have Free Trade Agreements with other countries to help the aqua sector,” Mr. Anand Kumar said.