<![CDATA[<a href="http://www.shrimpnews.com/FreeNews.html" target="_blank">http://www.shrimpnews.com/FreeNews.html</a>]]>Volume and ValueOn October 5, 2006, the United States Department of Agriculture's Aquaculture Outlook reported on USA shrimp imports for the first half of 2006.
In the first six months of 2006, USA shrimp imports increased 16 percent over the same period in 2005. They totaled 525 million pounds and were valued at 1.6 billion dollars, a 16 percent increase in quantity and an 18 percent increase in value. After declining in the first half of 2005, shrimp imports seem to be on the expansion track they exhibited in 2000 and 2004. While average prices for shrimp imports rose in 2005 and 2006, they remain much lower than in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Between 2000 and 2004, rapidly falling shrimp prices were a major factor in the expansion of shrimp imports. The average overall price for shrimp in the first half of 2006 was $3.11 per pound, up 6 cents per pound from 2005.
USA Shrimp Imports by Country in Pounds(January to June 2006, in 1,000s of pounds)
Country 2004 2005 2006 Thailand 135,430 128,129 151,284 China 63,875 37,406 56,707
Ecuador 46,992 57,288 71,729
Vietnam 46,312 32,944 32,982
India 40,948 29,534 25,422
Indonesia 39,331 56,052 70,425
Brazil 14,143 5,141 494
Mexico 12,117 13,160 15,695
Bangladesh 10,448 11,678 16,375
Philippines 1,174 1,699 2,200
Other 90,468 82,213 81,495
Totals 501,239 455,344 524,808
USA Shrimp Imports by Country in Dollars(January to June 2006, in 1,000s of dollars)
Country 2004 2005 2006 Thailand 373,851 360,446 438,773 Vietnam 225,040 159,401 180,372
India 153,431 120,267 102,044
China 142,676 74,752 119,908
Indonesia 123,347 181,231 227,685
Ecuador 119,026 141,171 176,980
Mexico 60,873 71,461 80,520
Bangladesh 48,316 47,542 71,883
Brazil 27,513 9,188 921
Philippines 5,071 5,510 7,000
Other 233,082 218,155 228,583
Totals $1,512,227 $1,398,128 $1,634,669
The growth in shrimp imports during the first half of 2006 was from larger shipments of frozen shrimp and prepared shrimp products. After declining sharply in 2005, shipments of frozen shrimp rose by 10 percent in the first half of 2006. However, even with this increase, shipments in the first half of 2006 were below those for the same period in 2004.
The majority of the increase came from larger shipments from Ecuador, Thailand and Indonesia, the largest single-country suppliers of frozen shrimp to the United States, accounting for 58 percent of total shrimp imports. The increased imports from these countries were partially offset by lower shipments from Brazil, India and China. Although the decline in imports from China between 2005 and 2006 was relatively small, China's shipments in this category are only a fraction of what they were in 2004, when it was the second largest supplier of frozen shrimp to the USA.
In the first six months of 2006, shipments of prepared shrimp products totaled 149.5 million pounds, up 31 percent compared to the first six months of 2005. Again Thailand and Indonesia showed the largest increases. While China's shipments of frozen shrimp products have declined, its exports of prepared shrimp products have risen rapidly. In the first half of 2006, shipments of prepared shrimp products from China were 50.5 million pounds, up 20 million pounds from 2005 and 37 million pounds higher than in the first half of 2004. China has shifted its product mix because of the stiff tariffs on its raw, frozen shrimp. In the prepared shrimp category, imports from Thailand, Indonesia and China accounted for 84 percent of the total.
USA shrimp imports for 2006 are expected to reach between 1.2 and 1.3 billion pounds, with a value from $3.75 to $3.85 billion. These estimates assume shrimp imports will follow their normal seasonal pattern through the remainder of 2006. The quantity and value of shrimp imports over the second half of 2006 will be heavily influenced by the status of the USA economy. A strong economy will allow for more personal expenditures at foodservice markets and restaurants. Shrimp prices will also be influenced by the pace of economic growth in Japan and the European Union, the two other major markets for shrimp.
Source: Aquaculture Outlook. David J. Harvey, Editor (phone 202-694-5177, email
djharvey@ers.usda.gov). United States Department of Agriculture. Electronic Outlook Report from the Economic Research Service. LDP-AQS-24. October 5, 2006. Information: In addition to shrimp, Aquaculture Outlook covers catfish, trout, tilapia, salmon, mollusks and crawfish. You can download a PDF of it at
http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/MannUsda/viewDocumentInfo.do?documentID=1375. You might also want to check out USDA's Aquaculture Briefing Room at
http://www.ers.usda.gov/briefing/aquaculture.
