Frozen shrimp from India to United States: what buyers specify and verify
Short answer: India's largest market for both raw frozen and prepared shrimp. Both antidumping and countervailing duty orders apply, so the brief should name the duty position per exporter, plus residue testing and the SIMP traceability data. 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$1.85 billion, 249,314 t.
Source: WITS / UN Comtrade — India 2024 exports of HS 030613 by partner (read 23 October 2026)
- VerifiedData year FY 2024–25
Frozen shrimp to the United States: 311,948 t (MPEDA estimate).
Source: MPEDA (India) — marine products exports FY 2024–25, press release (read 23 October 2026)
- VerifiedData year 2024
Prepared shrimp (HS 160520) to the United States: US$490 million.
Source: WITS / UN Comtrade — India 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.
Market evidence — not a purchase orderLast verified 25 October 2026
Trade opportunity: Indian frozen shrimp to the United States, FY 2025–26
India exported 1,972,018 t of seafood worth US$8.46 billion in FY 2025–26 (April 2025–March 2026), a record. Frozen shrimp earned US$5,624.48 million from 792,647 t — 66.52% of dollar earnings.
- Frozen shrimp to the United States
- 256,128 t
- All seafood to the United States
- 279,193 t · US$2,328.74 million
Largest market by value; frozen shrimp was 93.55% of seafood export value to the US. Exports to the US fell 19.51% in volume and 14.22% in US$ value on the previous year.
Source: PIB / MPEDA — India's seafood exports reach record US$8.46 billion in FY 2025–26 (Ministry of Commerce & Industry), published 1 June 2026, read 25 October 2026.
What to specify for this opportunity
- Species and origin
- Penaeus vannamei or P. monodon (black tiger), farmed in India; the release reports growth for both species. Name the Indian state of farming if it matters to your market.
- Count / size
- Count per lb or per kg (for example 16/20, 21/25, 26/30, 31/40 per lb), and whether count is measured before or after de-glazing.
- Processing
- HOSO, HLSO, PD, PUD, PDTO, easy-peel, cooked or breaded; IQF, semi-IQF or block; additive policy (phosphates, sulphites).
- Glazing
- Glaze percentage and the net-weight basis for price; ask for de-glazed net weight on carton and invoice.
- Packaging
- Inner pack (bag or box), master carton, net weight per unit, labels in the destination language and any private label.
- Season and stock
- The release gives no crop calendar. Ask whether the lot is current-crop or cold-store stock, and its production date.
- Cold chain and logistics
- Frozen at not more than −18 °C, reefer set-point and loggers, port of loading (the top export ports were Visakhapatnam, JNPT and Kochi) and Incoterm.
- Certifications and import checks
- Destination plant eligibility (EU list, China registration), health certificate, residue testing and any third-party certification your customer requires — as documents to check, not assumed.
Unknowns — not answered by the official figures
- Prices, offer levels and exchange-rate effects (the release reports values, not prices).
- Which exporters or plants supplied the volumes, and their current capacity or stock.
- Split by species (vannamei vs black tiger), product form or count for each market.
- Crop calendar and harvest windows by Indian state.
- Current duty, tariff or inspection status for a specific exporter or lot.
- Whether any particular buyer in the destination is currently purchasing.
Risks to price in
- India's exports to the US fell in FY 2025–26 (−19.51% volume, −14.22% US$). The release gives no reason; check current duty and tariff positions per exporter before pricing. Source: PIB / MPEDA — India's seafood exports reach record US$8.46 billion in FY 2025–26 (Ministry of Commerce & Industry), read 25 October 2026.
- Glaze and weight disputes: price on net de-glazed weight and check glaze percentage on arrival. (FishMatch buyer guidance)
- Cold-chain excursions: agree reefer set-point, data loggers and a written claim process before shipment. (FishMatch buyer guidance)
- Specification drift: count, form and chemical-use policy must be identical across offers or they cannot be compared. (FishMatch buyer guidance)
Qualification checklist before we contact producers
- Annual or seasonal program value of USD 250,000 or more.
- Importer of record, destination country and port of entry named.
- One written specification covering species, count, form, glaze, packing and chemical-use policy.
- Volume per container, number of containers and delivery window.
- Documents and tests your market requires, and who pays for pre-shipment testing.
- Payment terms you can offer and the quote validity you need.
Free for buyers. FishMatch reviews each request by hand and contacts screened producers for you; buyers and suppliers are not put in direct contact.
Other India FY 2025–26 routes: China · European Union · Japan · United Arab Emirates
Product on this route
- Species and production
- Penaeus vannamei, some P. monodon (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
- Peeled (PD, PUD, PDTO), easy-peel, HLSO, IQF — a starting list, not evidence that any producer can supply them.
- Prepared / value-added
- Cooked, breaded, marinated (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 India 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 — India shrimp for United States
- How do I source frozen shrimp from India 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$1.85 billion, 249,314 t. Source: WITS / UN Comtrade — India 2024 exports of HS 030613 by partner. This is a historical customs value, not current demand or a supplier's capacity.
- How much frozen shrimp did India export to United States in FY 2025–26?
- 256,128 tonnes to United States, out of 792,647 tonnes in total (US$5,624.48 million), according to MPEDA's FY 2025–26 figures published by PIB on 1 June 2026. India's seafood exports overall were a record US$8.46 billion.
- Does this figure mean there is a buyer or an order waiting?
- No. It is national export statistics: evidence that the trade exists at scale, not a purchase order, a price or a verified buyer or supplier. FishMatch reviews each buyer request (USD 250,000 or more per year or season) and only then approaches screened producers on the buyer's behalf.