Import market guide
Spain seafood imports: 2024 figures, EU rules and Spanish border controls
Short answer: Spain imported US$6.63 billion of HS 03 seafood in 2024 and US$1.16 billion of frozen shrimp, the largest frozen-shrimp importer inside the EU. Spain applies EU import rules: the importer pre-notifies each consignment with a CHED-P in TRACES to the official control service at a Spanish border control post.
Data year 2024 · trade figures checked 21 October 2026 · EU listings checked 23 October 2026
2024 import figures
Spain's figures are already included in the EU aggregate. Part of Spain's imports is processed or re-shipped to other EU markets, so imports are not the same as Spanish consumption.
| Flow | 2024 value | Quantity | Read with care |
|---|---|---|---|
| HS 03 fish, crustaceans and molluscs | US$6.63 billion | — | Included in the EU total. |
| HS 030613 frozen shrimp and prawns | US$1.16 billion | — | Quantity not reported in this table. |
WITS / UN Comtrade — 2024 imports, HS 030613 frozen shrimps and prawns, all reporters
| Partner | 2024 value | Quantity | Read with care |
|---|---|---|---|
| From Ecuador | US$339 million | 67,164 t |
Import rules and Spanish border controls
- 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.
- In Spain the importer, directly or through a customs representative, notifies the consignment in advance to the official border control service at the border control post, using part I of the CHED-P in TRACES NT.
- Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food: import requirements for fishery and aquaculture products (Oct 2025)
- Spanish Ministry of Health: border control posts for products for human consumption
- EU entry conditions
- Authorised non-EU establishments
General orientation, not legal or import advice. Rules change; confirm current requirements with the official authority and your customs broker.
EU-listed fishery establishments in the main shrimp origins
To export fishery products to the EU, a processing plant, cold store or vessel must appear on the EU list for its country. The counts below come from the European Commission's TRACES NT listings.
| Origin | Listed establishments | By activity | List updated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ecuador | 284 | Processing plant 170 · Freezer vessel 111 · Freezer vessel (tuna in brine) 14 · Cold store 3 | 22 October 2026 |
| India | 623 | Processing plant 545 · Cold store 78 | 22 October 2026 |
| Indonesia | 173 | Processing plant 173 | 11 September 2026 |
| Argentina | 408 | Freezer vessel 184 · Processing plant 150 · Factory vessel 49 · Cold store 27 | 29 September 2026 |
| Thailand | 296 | Processing plant 232 · Cold store 58 · Reefer vessel 6 | 16 July 2026 |
| Viet Nam | 517 | Processing plant 493 · Cold store 24 | 27 August 2026 |
| China | 1,630 | Processing plant 992 · Freezer vessel 577 · Reefer vessel 40 · Cold store 14 · Factory vessel 8 | 17 September 2026 |
| Norway | 1,059 | Fresh fishery products plant 623 · Processing plant 405 · Factory vessel 227 · Freezer vessel 83 · Reefer vessel 24 · Wholesale market 1 | 15 October 2026 |
One establishment can be listed for more than one activity, so activity counts can add up to more than the total. Norway is in the European Economic Area, so its establishments are approved by the Norwegian Food Safety Authority and appear on the EEA-side listing rather than the third-country list.
Approvals can change: establishments are added, suspended and removed, and these counts are a snapshot read on 23 October 2026. A listing covers fishery products in general — it does not name species or show that a plant handles frozen shrimp — and it does not replace other requirements such as health certificates or IUU catch certificates. FishMatch does not republish establishment names and does not imply any listed plant is a FishMatch supplier. Before contracting, check the live list and the exact approval number, and our team checks named plants during each request review.
What to verify before you buy
- The plant's approval number on the current EU list for its country.
- Which Spanish border control post will receive the consignment and that it handles your product category.
- CHED-P pre-notification before arrival and the official health certificate for each lot.
- For wild-caught product, the IUU catch certificate.
- Ask for the count basis (per lb or per kg), glaze declaration and net weight on every offer so quotes are comparable.
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. FishMatch Group coordinates sourcing and does not produce, certify, inspect or guarantee products.
Questions
- Are Spanish import rules different from EU rules?
- Spain applies the EU's rules for fishery products. Spanish authorities run the border controls and publish practical guidance, linked above.
- Why are Spain's imports larger than its consumption?
- Some product is processed in Spain or re-shipped to other EU markets, so import figures include trade that is not consumed in Spain.