Frozen shrimp from Ecuador to United States: what buyers specify and verify
Short answer: Ecuador's second market. US buyers mostly specify headless and peeled raw IQF shrimp by count per pound. A countervailing duty order has applied since December 2024, so the duty position per exporter belongs in the brief. 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 the United States: US$1.42 billion, 253,781 t.
Source: WITS / UN Comtrade — Ecuador 2024 exports of HS 030613 by partner (read 23 October 2026)
- VerifiedData year 2025
Shrimp exports to the United States: US$1,765.6 million (all forms).
Source: Cámara Nacional de Acuacultura (Ecuador) — shrimp export statistics, January–December 2025 workbook (read 23 October 2026)
- VerifiedData year 2024
Prepared shrimp (HS 160520) to the United States: US$30 million.
Source: WITS / UN Comtrade — Ecuador 2024 exports of HS 160520 by partner (HS 1988/92) (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 (raw); 1605.21 / 1605.29 (prepared) — 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
- HLSO, peeled (PD, PUD, PDTO), easy-peel, IQF — a starting list, not evidence that any producer can supply them.
- Prepared / value-added
- Small prepared trade (HS 160520)
Likely buyer types
Importers · Wholesalers and distributors · Retail seafood procurement · Foodservice procurement · Processors and re-packers
FishMatch guidance from the product forms on this route; not evidence of named buyers or buying relationships.
United States import rules
- Applies to: All shrimp, farmed or wild, raw or preparedVerified
Importers must have written verification procedures showing the foreign processor meets FDA seafood HACCP (21 CFR 123.12), and FDA must receive prior notice of each food shipment.
Official source: 21 CFR 123.12 — importer verification for fish and fishery products (eCFR)
- Applies to: Farmed and wild shrimp in the program's scopeVerified
The Seafood Import Monitoring Program has covered shrimp since 31 December 2018: importers need a permit and must keep records back to the farm (name, address) or the vessel and catch area.
Official source: NOAA — Seafood Import Monitoring Program: facts and information collected
- Applies to: Wild-caught shrimp; declaration for all shrimpVerified
Section 609 bars wild-caught shrimp from uncertified countries harvested in ways that can harm sea turtles. Every shrimp import carries a DS-2031 declaration. Argentina and Ecuador are on the 2026 certified list; from countries not listed, only farmed shrimp is eligible.
Official source: US State Department — 2026 annual Section 609 shrimp certifications (Federal Register, 21 April 2026)
- Applies to: Frozen warmwater shrimp within each order's scopeVerified
Antidumping orders: China, India, Thailand, Viet Nam, and Indonesia (since December 2024). Countervailing duty orders since December 2024: Ecuador, India, Viet Nam. Rates and scope depend on the exporter and product; check the current order before pricing.
- Applies to: Listed firms and productsVerified
FDA can detain seafood without examination from firms on Import Alert 16-129 (nitrofurans). Check whether your supplier is listed.
Official source: FDA Import Alert 16-129 — seafood products due to nitrofurans
- Current eligibility of the origin country, the named processing establishment and the product form for United States.
- Tariff classification, duties and importer registration — confirmed by your customs broker.
US 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.
- For US entry, keep chain-of-custody records for every transfer, including any transshipment or re-packing, because the Seafood Import Monitoring Program traces shrimp back to the farm or vessel.
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 United States 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 United States
- How do I source frozen shrimp from Ecuador for United States?
- 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 United States?
- Whether the origin country, the specific processing establishment and the product form are currently eligible for United States, 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 the United States: US$1.42 billion, 253,781 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.