Frozen shrimp from Ecuador to China: what buyers specify and verify
Short answer: Ecuador's largest shrimp market by value. Buying is mainly raw head-on frozen product in bulk, so count size, glaze and block or semi-IQF format decide comparability. The plant must be registered with China Customs and cartons must show the production method. FishMatch reviews annual or seasonal programs of USD 250,000 or more, free for buyers, and contacts screened producers for you — there is no direct buyer–supplier contact.
Validated by official trade data
Trade evidence for this route
- VerifiedData year 2024
HS 030613 exports to China: US$2.92 billion, 748,881 t.
Source: WITS / UN Comtrade — Ecuador 2024 exports of HS 030613 by partner (read 23 October 2026)
- VerifiedData year 2025
Shrimp exports to China: US$3,269.6 million (all forms).
Source: Cámara Nacional de Acuacultura (Ecuador) — shrimp export statistics, January–December 2025 workbook (read 23 October 2026)
Historical customs and association values, not prices, current demand or any supplier's capacity. No prices, transit times or certificates are claimed for this route.
Product on this route
- Species and production
- Penaeus vannamei (farmed)
- Candidate HS headings
- 0306.17 — confirm classification with your customs broker. Historical trade tables use the older code 030613 for all frozen shrimp and prawns.
- Raw frozen forms commonly specified
- Head-on shell-on (HOSO), frozen block or semi-IQF — a starting list, not evidence that any producer can supply them.
- Prepared / value-added
- No prepared-shrimp trade evidenced for this route.
Likely buyer types
Importers · Processors and re-packers · Wholesalers and distributors
FishMatch guidance from the product forms on this route; not evidence of named buyers or buying relationships.
China import rules
- Applies to: All aquatic productsVerified
Overseas producers, processors and cold stores must be registered with China Customs (GACC) on the recommendation of their own authority (GACC Decree 280, in force 1 June 2026, which replaced Decree 248), through the CIFER system; GACC Announcement 2026 No. 27 also lists cold stores holding aquatic products.
Official source: GACC Decree 280 — registration of overseas producers of imported food, in force 1 June 2026, replacing Decree 248 (gov.cn, Chinese)
- Applies to: All aquatic productsVerified
Inner and outer packaging must show the species name, production method (marine catch, freshwater catch or aquaculture), production area, plant registration number and other details (Decree 249, Article 30).
Official source: GACC Decree 249 — import and export food safety (gov.cn, Chinese)
- Applies to: AllNeeds confirmation
Decree 248 was replaced by Decree 280 on 1 June 2026 (checked 25 Oct 2026); no replacement of Decree 249 was found. Check product-specific rules with your Chinese importer.
Official source: CIFER — overseas imported-food manufacturer registration system (China Single Window)
- Current eligibility of the origin country, the named processing establishment and the product form for China.
- Tariff classification, duties and importer registration — confirmed by your customs broker.
China import checks with links to the official authority.
Cold chain and logistics
- Agree the reefer set-point, a data logger per container and who downloads it at discharge; reject or claim against temperature excursions in writing.
- Ask for glaze percentage and net (de-glazed) weight on the carton and the invoice, then check both on arrival.
- Plan cold-store capacity at the discharge port before the vessel arrives; for standalone cold storage, see ColdMatch Group.
Standalone cold storage or reefer logistics? ColdMatch Group
Request checklist for this route
Tick what you can already state. Items you can't answer yet are fine; our team asks before any producer is approached.
The form opens with Ecuador and China filled in. A person reviews every request; buyers and producers stay confidential to each other. FishMatch coordinates sourcing and does not produce, certify, inspect or guarantee products.
FAQ — Ecuador shrimp for China
- How do I source frozen shrimp from Ecuador for China?
- Write one specification first: species, farmed or wild-caught, product form, count/size, glazing, packing, annual or seasonal volume, destination port, delivery window and the certificates your buyer requires. FishMatch reviews requests for annual or seasonal programs of USD 250,000 or more, free for buyers, and approaches screened producers on your behalf — there is no direct buyer–supplier contact.
- What must be verified before importing into China?
- Whether the origin country, the specific processing establishment and the product form are currently eligible for China, which official certificates and catch or production documents each lot needs, and labelling and residue rules. Check current official listings and your customs broker; a country appearing in trade statistics does not mean any particular plant is approved.
- Is there a price or transit time for this route?
- No price, volume or transit time is published here because none has been verified for this route. Offers depend on size, form, glazing, packing, Incoterms, timing and exchange rates; a reviewed RFQ returns comparable offers with their dates.
- How much shrimp moves on this route?
- 2024: HS 030613 exports to China: US$2.92 billion, 748,881 t. Source: WITS / UN Comtrade — Ecuador 2024 exports of HS 030613 by partner. This is a historical customs value, not current demand or a supplier's capacity.