Seafood import and export data 2024: who buys, who supplies and what to verify
Short answer: in 2024 the largest importers of HS 03 seafood were the EU, the United States, China, Japan and Spain, and the largest exporters of frozen shrimp were Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Argentina and Thailand. Use these figures as market context only — before buying, confirm the exact product, the plant's eligibility for your destination and the documents each lot needs.
Data year 2024 · figures checked 21 October 2026 · values in current US dollars as published by each source.
Read the scope first
- HS 03 — all fish, crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates (fresh, chilled, frozen, dried, salted). Broad: not shrimp-only.
- Frozen shrimp and prawns — HS 030613 in the HS 1988/92 nomenclature WITS uses for these tables; the current HS splits it into 0306.16 (cold-water) and 0306.17 (other). Live, fresh or chilled shrimp sit under other HS 0306 lines.
- Prepared or preserved shrimp (cooked, breaded, ready-to-eat) — Chapter 16 (1605.21/1605.29), not counted in HS 03.
- FAO totals — all fisheries and aquaculture products, a broader and estimated measure, so they do not match the WITS HS 03 values.
Candidate HS codes are orientation only; your customs broker or authority confirms classification.
Largest HS 03 importers, 2024
| Importer | 2024 import value | Read with care |
|---|---|---|
| European Union | US$25.15 billion | EU aggregate as reported in WITS. Spain is an EU member state — do not add Spain's figure to this total. |
| United States | US$20.65 billion | |
| China | US$15.75 billion | Includes product imported for processing and re-export, not only domestic consumption. |
| Japan | US$8.97 billion | |
| Spain | US$6.63 billion | Already included in the EU aggregate; part of Spain's imports is processed or re-shipped within the EU. |
Largest frozen shrimp exporters, 2024
| Exporter | 2024 export value | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Ecuador | US$6.34 billion | 1,386,340 t |
| India | US$4.31 billion | 666,420 t |
| Indonesia | US$1.08 billion | 135,390 t |
| Argentina | US$939 million | 146,689 t |
| Thailand | US$547 million | 56,772 t |
Where Ecuador's frozen shrimp went, 2024
| Destination | 2024 value | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| China | US$2.92 billion | 748,881 t |
| United States | US$1.42 billion | 253,781 t |
| Spain | US$339 million | 67,164 t |
| Italy | US$292 million | 42,546 t |
| France | US$231 million | 41,872 t |
Largest frozen shrimp importers, 2024
| Reporter / partner | 2024 value | Quantity | Read with care |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | US$4.96 billion | 981,577 t | Includes product for processing and re-export. |
| United States | US$4.67 billion | 584,345 t | |
| European Union | US$3.48 billion | 531,063 t | Aggregate; Spain, France, Italy and the Netherlands below are inside it. |
| Japan | US$1.32 billion | 152,451 t | |
| Spain | US$1.16 billion | — | EU member; quantity not reported in this table. |
| France | US$733 million | 107,827 t | EU member. |
| Italy | US$607 million | 84,904 t | EU member. |
| Korea, Rep. | US$491 million | 65,950 t |
Where India's frozen shrimp went, 2024
| Reporter / partner | 2024 value | Quantity | Read with care |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | US$1.85 billion | 249,314 t | |
| China | US$740 million | 139,673 t | |
| Japan | US$277 million | 38,230 t | |
| Viet Nam | US$241 million | 42,974 t | Likely includes product for processing; not end-consumption evidence. |
| Belgium | US$184 million | 29,757 t |
Where Indonesia's frozen shrimp went, 2024
| Reporter / partner | 2024 value | Quantity | Read with care |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | US$677 million | 84,964 t | |
| Japan | US$223 million | 23,993 t | |
| China | US$58 million | 10,562 t |
Prepared or preserved shrimp (HS 160520), 2024
Cooked, breaded and ready-to-eat shrimp. Counted outside HS 03 — do not add to frozen shrimp totals.
| Reporter / partner | 2024 value | Quantity | Read with care |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | US$1.66 billion | 179,069 t | |
| European Union | US$658 million | 81,050 t | Aggregate. |
| Japan | US$605 million | 62,988 t | |
| United Kingdom | US$328 million | 32,543 t | |
| Korea, Rep. | US$209 million | 39,027 t |
| Reporter / partner | 2024 value | Quantity | Read with care |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | US$1.68 billion | 122,812 t | |
| Thailand | US$690 million | 80,024 t | |
| India | US$607 million | 72,095 t | |
| Indonesia | US$590 million | 78,274 t |
Fresh or chilled salmon (HS 030212), 2024
Whole fresh or chilled salmon only; fillets and frozen salmon use other codes. The code does not separate farmed from wild salmon.
| Reporter / partner | 2024 value | Quantity | Read with care |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norway | US$8.04 billion | 964,705 t | |
| Sweden | US$3.66 billion | 432,557 t | Sweden's imports are almost equal (US$3.68 billion): largely transit trade, not Swedish farming. |
| Chile | US$1.17 billion | 152,147 t | |
| United Kingdom | US$1.07 billion | 101,524 t | |
| Canada | US$668 million | 73,300 t |
| Reporter / partner | 2024 value | Quantity | Read with care |
|---|---|---|---|
| European Union | US$7.09 billion | 849,957 t | Aggregate, includes Sweden, Poland, France and Denmark. |
| Poland | US$1.57 billion | 196,740 t | EU member; a salmon processing hub. |
| United States | US$1.43 billion | 133,110 t | |
| France | US$1.35 billion | 144,617 t | EU member. |
| China | US$1.07 billion | 93,601 t | |
| Brazil | US$862 million | 110,550 t |
Tilapia, 2024 (FAO)
The HS 1988/92 tables used above have no tilapia-specific code, so tilapia figures come from FAO GLOBEFISH instead:
- US imports of fresh tilapia fillets fell to 18,915 t worth US$147.1 million, 17.4% lower in volume than 2023 and the lowest since 2012.
- The United States imported about 35,000 t of frozen whole tilapia from China; Côte d'Ivoire remained the largest importer of Chinese frozen whole tilapia.
Source: FAO GLOBEFISH — Quarterly tilapia analysis, May 2025. FAO also notes new US tariffs on fishery products from China and Viet Nam disrupting trade — check current tariffs before pricing.
2024 market conditions (FAO)
FAO reported that global shrimp imports fell 1.6% by volume and 5.9% by value in 2024, and that China and the United States together accounted for 48% of shrimp trade (FAO GLOBEFISH — Shifts in the global shrimp trade and production, published 29 August 2025). This describes 2024; it is not a forecast.
For all fisheries and aquaculture products (broad scope, FAO estimates published 17 February 2025), the five leading exporters in 2024 were:
- China: about US$20.2 billion
- Norway: about US$16.0 billion — Mainly farmed Atlantic salmon (FAO).
- Ecuador: about US$9.2 billion — Mainly shrimp (FAO).
- Viet Nam: about US$8.3 billion
- Chile: about US$7.8 billion — FAO reports a 12% fall versus 2023.
Destination checks
Full country-by-country checklist (EU, US, Great Britain, Japan, China): seafood import readiness.
General orientation, not legal or import advice. Rules change; confirm current requirements with the official authority and your customs broker.
European Union
- The exporting country must be authorised by the EU for the product category, and the producing establishment must appear on the EU list of authorised non-EU establishments.
- Each consignment travels with the official health certificate model for the product and enters through an EU border control post, where it is pre-notified and checked using a Common Health Entry Document (CHED) in TRACES.
- Traceability from establishment to consignment is required; wild-caught fishery products also need a catch certificate under the EU's illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing rules.
Official pages: EU entry conditions · Authorised non-EU establishments · TRACES · Access2Markets: animal products · EU IUU fishing rules
Spain
Spain applies the EU import rules above. Its 2024 HS 03 imports (US$6.63 billion) are part of the EU total, and some product is processed or re-shipped to other EU markets. Ecuador's 2024 frozen shrimp exports to Spain were US$339 million.
United States
- Seafood processors and importers must meet FDA seafood HACCP requirements (21 CFR Part 123); importers verify that foreign processors comply.
- Shrimp is one of the species groups in NOAA's Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP), which requires harvest-to-entry data reporting and recordkeeping; shrimp compliance began on 31 December 2018.
Official pages: 21 CFR Part 123 (Fish and fishery products) · NOAA Seafood Import Monitoring Program
Origin notes
Country totals are not evidence that any producer can supply you or is approved for your destination.
- Ecuador
- Largest frozen shrimp (HS 030613) exporter in 2024 at US$6.34 billion; FAO also ranks Ecuador third for all fisheries and aquaculture exports (US$9.2 billion, mainly shrimp).
- Verify: Destination eligibility of the named packing plant, production method per lot and the count/glaze basis of offers.
- India
- Second-largest HS 030613 exporter in 2024 at US$4.31 billion.
- Verify: Plant listing for your destination, residue testing for the lot and whether the product is raw, cooked or value-added (which changes the HS heading).
- Indonesia
- HS 030613 exports of US$1.08 billion in 2024.
- Verify: Establishment eligibility, species (vannamei or monodon) and product form per contract.
- Argentina
- HS 030613 exports of US$939 million in 2024. Argentine shrimp supply is associated with the wild-caught Argentine red shrimp (Pleoticus muelleri) trawl fishery, not farming; customs totals do not separate farmed from wild.
- Verify: Wild-caught documentation, including catch certification where the destination requires it.
- Thailand
- HS 030613 exports of US$547 million in 2024. Cooked, breaded or other prepared shrimp from any origin is recorded under Chapter 16, so it is not in this figure.
- Verify: Whether your product is frozen raw (HS 03) or prepared (HS 16) — the documents and tariff lines differ.
- Viet Nam
- FAO ranks Viet Nam fourth for all fisheries and aquaculture exports in 2024 (US$8.3 billion, broad scope — not shrimp-only).
- Verify: Species and form split (shrimp, pangasius, tuna), and plant eligibility for your destination.
- Norway
- FAO ranks Norway second for all fisheries and aquaculture exports in 2024 (about US$16 billion), mainly farmed Atlantic salmon.
- Verify: Fresh versus frozen form, trim specification and the delivery window your cold chain can hold.
- Chile
- FAO ranks Chile fifth for all fisheries and aquaculture exports in 2024 (about US$7.8 billion), 12% below 2023 — broad scope.
- Verify: Species (salmon, trout, mussels), form and destination plant eligibility.
Argentina production method: Seafood Watch — Wild-caught Argentine red shrimp (Pleoticus muelleri), bottom trawl assessment.
Choose the right request
- Frozen shrimp (raw, IQF or block) — shrimp sourcing request; route-by-route checks on the shrimp lanes.
- Other shrimp and prawns (live, fresh, chilled, cooked or breaded) — the same shrimp request; state the form, because prepared products fall under Chapter 16 with different documents.
- Farmed finfish (salmon, trout, tilapia, sea bass, pangasius; whole, fillet or portion) — farmed seafood brief.
- Building or expanding a farm, hatchery or processing line — a separate equipment and project path: aquaculture project RFQ.
How seafood prices are quoted
Short answer: a seafood price is only comparable when the offers share the same basis. FishMatch does not publish market prices; trade values on this page are customs totals, not prices. Check each quote for:
- Currency and validity date — quotes move with exchange rates and harvest seasons.
- Incoterm (ICC Incoterms 2020: e.g. FOB, CFR, CIF, DAP) — who pays freight, insurance and import costs.
- Weight basis — net de-glazed weight or gross glazed weight (see glazing).
- Count and form — per lb or per kg, before or after glazing, and the product form (see shrimp product forms).
- Pack and payment terms — carton format, private label, deposit and balance timing.
Where FishMatch calculators take their cost inputs from is explained on the calculator price sources page.
Buyer RFQ checklist
- Species: Common and scientific name (e.g. Penaeus vannamei, Salmo salar), so offers cannot substitute a similar species.
- Farmed or wild-caught: Production method per lot; wild-caught product can need catch documentation and different certificates.
- Product form: Whole/HOSO, HLSO, peeled (PD, PUD, PDTO), cooked, fillet or portion; fresh, chilled or frozen.
- Grade and size: Count per kg or lb, size tolerance and grade definition; state whether count is before or after glazing.
- Processing and glazing: Freezing method (IQF or block), glaze percentage and whether price and weight are on net (de-glazed) basis; any additives you accept or refuse.
- Pack and label: Inner and master carton, net weight, private-label or brand, language and destination labelling requirements.
- Volume: Annual or seasonal program and per-shipment quantity (containers or tonnes). FishMatch reviews programs of USD 250,000 or more.
- Origin: Preferred and excluded origin countries; whether a named region or farm type is required.
- Destination and port: Destination country, discharge port and final delivery point; who handles import clearance.
- Delivery window: First shipment date and frequency; flexibility you can accept.
- Cold chain: Holding temperature (frozen product is commonly held at −18 °C or colder — confirm your specification), reefer data-logger records and receiving inspection.
- Certificates: Official health certificate for the destination, plus any third-party scheme your customers require (e.g. BAP, ASC) — asked for and checked, never assumed.
Request a reviewed sourcing round
Free for buyers, for annual or seasonal programs of USD 250,000 or more. A person reviews every request before any producer is approached; buyers and suppliers stay confidential to each other and there is no direct contact.
Questions
- Why do the EU, Spain and China figures need care?
- Spain is an EU member state, so its HS 03 imports are already inside the EU aggregate and must not be added to it. Import totals for processing hubs such as China and Spain include product that is processed or re-shipped, so they are not end-consumption.
- Is HS 03 the same as shrimp?
- No. HS 03 covers all fish, crustaceans and molluscs. Frozen shrimp and prawns are one sub-heading (030613 in the HS 1988/92 nomenclature WITS uses; 0306.16 and 0306.17 in the current HS). Cooked, breaded or otherwise prepared shrimp is classified in Chapter 16 and is not in HS 03 totals.
- Do these numbers show current demand or prices?
- No. They are 2024 customs values and FAO estimates — historical market conditions. They are not forecasts, prices, buying demand or evidence that any producer can supply or is approved for a destination.
- Does FishMatch sell or import seafood?
- No. FishMatch is a human-reviewed sourcing service: buyers describe a program of USD 250,000 or more, free of charge; our team screens producers and relays offers. Buyers and suppliers do not contact each other directly. FishMatch does not own stock, import, inspect or certify product.
- How do I check whether a plant can export to the EU?
- Use the European Commission's lists of authorised non-EU establishments and the destination's entry conditions. FishMatch never claims a particular origin, farm or processor is EU-approved without checking its current listing.
Sources
- WITS / UN Comtrade — 2024 imports, HS 03 (fish, crustaceans, molluscs), all reporters
- WITS / UN Comtrade — 2024 exports, HS 030613 frozen shrimps and prawns, all reporters
- WITS / UN Comtrade — Ecuador 2024 exports of HS 030613 by partner
- FAO GLOBEFISH — Shifts in the global shrimp trade and production — published 2025-08-29
- FAO GLOBEFISH — World fish trade fall in 2024 — published 2025-02-17
- Seafood Watch — Wild-caught Argentine red shrimp (Pleoticus muelleri), bottom trawl assessment
- WITS / UN Comtrade — 2024 imports, HS 030613 frozen shrimps and prawns, all reporters
- WITS / UN Comtrade — India 2024 exports of HS 030613 by partner
- WITS / UN Comtrade — Indonesia 2024 exports of HS 030613 by partner
- WITS / UN Comtrade — 2024 imports, HS 160520 prepared or preserved shrimps and prawns
- WITS / UN Comtrade — 2024 exports, HS 160520 prepared or preserved shrimps and prawns
- WITS / UN Comtrade — 2024 exports, HS 030212 fresh or chilled Pacific, Atlantic and Danube salmon
- WITS / UN Comtrade — 2024 imports, HS 030212 fresh or chilled Pacific, Atlantic and Danube salmon
- FAO GLOBEFISH — Quarterly tilapia analysis, May 2025 — published 2025-05
All figures checked 21 October 2026. Related: seafood market map · import readiness by country · seafood import buying guide · seafood buying specification · how to compare supplier offers.