Ecuador’s shrimp exports reached 236 million pounds in June 2024, slipping almost 2 percent from the 241 million pounds exported in the same month of 2023 and marking a significant difference from the record-setting 275 million pounds of shrimp the country exported in May 2024.
The value of those exports reached USD 524 million (EUR 469 million) in June, falling 8.2 percent from the USD 571 million (EUR 510 million) registered in the same month of 2023. The average price per pound reached USD 2.21 (EUR 1.97) in the month, marking a drop of 6.8 percent when compared to average prices of USD 2.37 (EUR 2.12) a year previously.
When compared to the same month of 2023, June shipments to Ecuador’s principal market, China, increased 5.2 percent in volume to 137 million pounds, but the value of those exports slipped 2.2 percent to USD 277 million (EUR 247 million).
Over the same period, exports to what is normally Ecuador’s second-largest market – the U.S. – plummeted 27.3 percent by value and 26.1 percent by volume to USD 91.6 million (EUR 81.8 million) and 32.8 million pounds, respectively. This was part of an overall trend in the U.S., which imported 14 percent less shrimp in June when compared to June 2023, including from its top shrimp provider, India.
Meanwhile, Ecuadorian shrimp shipments to Europe were …