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Marine

Export frozen shrimp

India’s top seafood export. Needs MPEDA registration and an EIC-approved plant; residue testing and US trade measures shape the business.

Free to exportHS 0306.17
HS code
0306.17
Other shrimps and prawns, frozen (mostly farmed vannamei and black tiger). Cooked or prepared shrimp in airtight packs falls under 1605.
Export policy
Free to export
Free under ITC(HS), but by law (MPEDA Act, 1972) every seafood exporter must be registered with MPEDA, and the product must be processed in an EIC-approved plant with an EIC export certificate for the markets that require it.
Registrations
4
IEC, GST and those below
India’s exports, 2025-26
US$ 5.61 bn
to 104 countries

What is exported

Frozen shrimp is the largest item in India’s seafood basket: 7.93 lakh tonnes in 2025-26 (MPEDA). Andhra Pradesh is the main farming state. Across all marine products in 2025-26, the largest markets were the USA, China, the EU, South-East Asia and Japan; shipments to the USA fell from 3.47 lakh tonnes in 2024-25 to 2.79 lakh tonnes, while China and the EU grew.

Varieties, grades and forms

  • Vannamei (Litopenaeus vannamei)Farmed whiteleg shrimp; about 13 lakh tonnes produced in 2025-26 — most of the export volume.
  • Black tiger (Penaeus monodon)Larger, premium farmed shrimp; production rising again.
  • Sea-caught (Indian white, flower, brown, pink)Wild shrimp sold head-on, headless or peeled.
  • Forms: HOSO, HLSO, PD, PUD, PDTO, cookedHead-on, headless, peeled and deveined, tail-on; graded by count per pound (16/20, 21/25, 26/30…).

Where it is grown or made

  • Andhra PradeshThe main farming and processing state: East and West Godavari, Krishna, Nellore; Visakhapatnam and Kakinada ports.
  • GujaratSouth Gujarat coastal farms; vannamei all year.
  • West Bengal and OdishaBrackish-water farms; tiger shrimp crops through the monsoon.
  • Tamil Nadu and KeralaFarms and sea-catch processors; Kochi is a major seafood export hub.

Season

Vannamei is stocked and harvested all year in most coastal states; tiger shrimp has two crops (summer and monsoon), per MPEDA’s cropping pattern.

Export packing

  • IQF or block-frozen; common packs are 5 lb × 4, or 6 × 1 kg, 10 × 1 kg, 6 × 1.8 kg and 5 × 2 kg for vannamei — or as the buyer specifies.
  • Master cartons in 40-ft reefer containers at −18 °C or below, from an EIC-approved, MPEDA-registered plant.

Who buys abroad

  • Seafood importers and distributors in the USA
  • Re-processors and importers in China, Vietnam and Japan
  • EU and UK supermarket suppliers and food-service
  • Gulf importers and hotel suppliers

The quality buyers ask for

Form
HOSO (head-on shell-on), HLSO (headless shell-on), PUD, PD, PDTO (tail-on), PND, cooked, ring and value-added packs
Count
Pieces per pound or per kilogram, e.g. 16/20, 21/25, 26/30, 31/40, 41/50 per lb
Freezing and glaze
IQF or block frozen; glaze declared, and net weight stated without glaze
Temperature
Core held at –18 °C or colder through storage and transport
Residues
No banned antibiotics (such as chloramphenicol and nitrofurans); sulphite within limits — monitored by MPEDA and EIC
Standard
Codex standard for quick frozen shrimps or prawns (CXS 92-1981)

Certificates

  • MPEDA registrationRequiredEvery seafood exporter must be registered with MPEDA (MPEDA Act, 1972).
  • EIC-approved plant and health certificateRequiredProcessing in an EIC-approved plant (HACCP-based), with EIC health certificates for the EU and other markets that require them.
  • US FDA facility registrationOften askedFor the USA, the processing plant must be FDA-registered and follow the seafood HACCP rule.
  • BAP (Best Aquaculture Practices)Often askedFarm-to-plant certification asked for by most large US retailers.
  • ASCOften askedAquaculture Stewardship Council certification, asked for by many EU retailers.
  • BRCGS Food SafetyOften askedGFSI-recognised standard asked for by UK and many EU supermarkets for private-label packing.

Shipping, storage and shelf life

Container load

40-ft reefers at –18 °C or colder, typically about 22–26 tonnes of master cartons depending on pack.

How it travels

Sea freight from Visakhapatnam, Kolkata, Chennai, Kochi, Pipavav and Nhava Sheva.

Storage

Cold store at –18 °C or colder; avoid temperature swings, which cause freezer burn and glaze loss.

Shelf life

Typically 18–24 months frozen.

What goes on the pack and carton

  • Species (common and scientific name), farmed or wild, production method, catch or farming country, net weight without glaze, and the EIC plant approval number on EU packs.
  • EU retail packs (Regulation 1169/2011): name of the food, ingredients with allergens highlighted, net quantity, best-before date, storage conditions, the EU importer’s name and address, and origin where required — in the language of the country of sale.
  • USA (21 CFR 101): product name, net quantity in both US and metric units, ingredients, allergens, name and place of business of the packer or distributor, Nutrition Facts unless exempt; and “Product of India” marking (19 CFR 134).
  • Lot or batch number on every pack and bag — FSSAI’s Labelling and Display Regulations, 2020 require it, and every importing country uses it to trace and recall.
Where to get it tested

EIC/EIA laboratories and EIC-approved labs test seafood for export certification (eicindia.gov.in); MPEDA runs quality-control labs for pre-harvest and antibiotic testing (mpeda.gov.in). NABL-accredited private labs are also used.

Benefits of exporting this product

Where to register

  • MPEDAExporter registration (manufacturer or merchant exporter) and RCMC under the MPEDA Act. A merchant exporter needs a written agreement to use an approved plant’s surplus capacity.e-mpeda.nic.in ↗
  • Export Inspection Council (EIC)Approval of the processing plant and a Certificate for Export (health certificate) for each consignment to markets that require it, including the EU and China.eicindia.gov.in ↗

Quality and checks

  • Antibiotic residues (for example chloramphenicol and nitrofurans) in farmed shrimp — the EU and others test at the border; MPEDA runs pre-harvest testing and ELISA labs.
  • HACCP-based plant controls and EIC certification; a catch certificate for wild-caught product to the EU.
  • USA: DS-2031 form for shrimp, and US anti-dumping and countervailing duty orders on frozen warm-water shrimp from India. US tariffs on Indian goods changed several times in 2025–26 (US-India joint statement of February 2026; a further US action in July 2026) — confirm the current rate with your buyer before quoting.
How to start small

Register with MPEDA as a merchant exporter and tie up with an EIC-approved plant in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat or Kerala that will process and pack under your label. Start with a container to a Japan, Middle East or South-East Asia buyer on LC, and use ECGC cover.

Where new exporters go wrong

  • Buying shrimp from farms without pre-harvest antibiotic testing — one positive result can put your plant on an EU alert list.
  • Quoting the USA without checking the anti-dumping, countervailing and tariff stack; the duty can wipe out the margin.
  • Glazing and net-weight disputes; declare glaze and net weight correctly on the carton.

Documents this product needs

Schemes that apply

Sources (5)
  1. MPEDA — Marine products exports (item-, market- and port-wise data to 2025-26)
  2. MPEDA — Become an exporter (registration)
  3. EIC — Export of fresh, frozen and processed fish and fishery products
  4. Department of Commerce — United States–India Joint Statement (7 Feb 2026)
  5. US International Trade Administration — anti-dumping and countervailing duties

Trade data

Indian frozen shrimp exports in numbers

From the Department of Commerce’s TradeStat, country by country. US$, Indian financial years (April–March).

Exports in 2025-26
US$ 5.61 bn
+5% a year on average, 2020-21 to 2025-26
Change from 2024-25
↑ +9.1%
US$ 5.14 bn → US$ 5.61 bn
Buyer countries
104
Average export price
US$ 7.04
per kg · 7,96,478 tonnes shipped · US$ 6.91 the year before
United States of America: US$ 2.15 bnChina: US$ 942 mnVietnam: US$ 421 mnBelgium: US$ 362 mnJapan: US$ 319 mnCanada: US$ 215 mnRussia: US$ 169 mnUnited Kingdom: US$ 103 mnUnited Arab Emirates: US$ 101 mnGermany: US$ 91.2 mnNetherlands: US$ 88.1 mnFrance: US$ 76 mnItaly: US$ 44.3 mnMalaysia: US$ 41.8 mnKuwait: US$ 30.5 mnSri Lanka: US$ 29.5 mnHong Kong: US$ 28.7 mnGreece: US$ 28.6 mnPoland: US$ 26.6 mnSouth Korea: US$ 24.3 mnPortugal: US$ 22.5 mnSouth Africa: US$ 21 mnSpain: US$ 18.7 mnUnited States of America: US$ 2.15 bnUnited States of AmericaChina: US$ 942 mnChinaVietnam: US$ 421 mnVietnamBelgium: US$ 362 mnBelgiumJapan: US$ 319 mnCanada: US$ 215 mnRussia: US$ 169 mnRussiaUnited Kingdom: US$ 103 mnUnited Arab Emirates: US$ 101 mnUnited Arab EmiratesGermany: US$ 91.2 mnNetherlands: US$ 88.1 mnFrance: US$ 76 mnItaly: US$ 44.3 mnMalaysia: US$ 41.8 mnKuwait: US$ 30.5 mnSri Lanka: US$ 29.5 mnHong Kong: US$ 28.7 mnGreece: US$ 28.6 mnPoland: US$ 26.6 mnSouth Korea: US$ 24.3 mnPortugal: US$ 22.5 mnSouth Africa: US$ 21 mnSpain: US$ 18.7 mnIndia
Where Indian frozen shrimp goes — among our 80 countries, 2025-26
2020-21: US$ 4.39 bn4.4k2020-212021-22: US$ 5.82 bn5.8k2021-222022-23: US$ 5.46 bn5.5k2022-232023-24: US$ 4.84 bn4.8k2023-242024-25: US$ 5.14 bn5.1k2024-252025-26: US$ 5.61 bn5.6k2025-26
India’s frozen shrimp exports, year by year · US$ million

The price cycle

India’s average export price per kg each year (total value ÷ total quantity). Highest in 2021-22, lowest in 2024-25 — a 15% swing between them. Keep this swing in mind when you quote.

2020-21: US$ 7.46 per kg2021-22: US$ 7.93 per kg7.932022-23: US$ 7.59 per kg2024-25: US$ 6.91 per kg6.912025-26: US$ 7.04 per kg7.042020-212021-222022-232023-242024-252025-26
Average export price of Indian frozen shrimp · US$ per kg · dotted = year in between not available

What next: a projection from the trend

The past trend carried forward — not a forecast by any authority. Sudden changes in policy, prices or demand are not in it.

2020-21: US$ 4.39 bn2020-212021-22: US$ 5.82 bn2021-222022-23: US$ 5.46 bn2022-232023-24: US$ 4.84 bn2023-242024-25: US$ 5.14 bn2024-252025-26: US$ 5.61 bn2025-262026-27: US$ 5.58 bn (US$ 4.81 bn – US$ 6.47 bn)5.6k2026-272027-28: US$ 5.69 bn (US$ 4.82 bn – US$ 6.72 bn)5.7k2027-28
India’s frozen shrimp exports and projection · hollow bars = projection, line = likely range
By 2027-28: US$ 5.69 bn

Likely range US$ 4.82 bn to US$ 6.72 bn.

Trend
+2.1% a year
Fit (R²)
0.14 — weak, read with care
Based on
6 years of official figures

Method: a straight line through the logarithm of yearly exports (log-linear regression); range = ±1 standard error.

Biggest buyer countries

By value in 2025-26. Change is against 2024-25.

Name2025-26Change
1United States of AmericaUS$ 2.15 bn-13.5%
2ChinaUS$ 942 mn+28.9%
3VietnamUS$ 421 mn+50.5%
4BelgiumUS$ 362 mn+69.8%
5JapanUS$ 319 mn+10.6%
6CanadaUS$ 215 mn+16.6%
7RussiaUS$ 169 mn+32.4%
8United KingdomUS$ 103 mn+29.6%
9United Arab EmiratesUS$ 101 mn-17%
10GermanyUS$ 91.2 mn+57%
11NetherlandsUS$ 88.1 mn+33.4%
12FranceUS$ 76 mn+13.8%

Where demand is rising and falling

Only countries that buy at least US$ 1 million or 1% of India’s exports of this product. Change from 2024-25 to 2025-26.

High demand

  1. BelgiumUS$ 213 mn → US$ 362 mn+69.8%
  2. GermanyUS$ 58 mn → US$ 91.2 mn+57%
  3. VietnamUS$ 280 mn → US$ 421 mn+50.5%
  4. NetherlandsUS$ 66 mn → US$ 88.1 mn+33.4%
  5. RussiaUS$ 128 mn → US$ 169 mn+32.4%
  6. United KingdomUS$ 79.9 mn → US$ 103 mn+29.6%
  7. ChinaUS$ 731 mn → US$ 942 mn+28.9%
  8. CanadaUS$ 184 mn → US$ 215 mn+16.6%

Low demand

  1. United Arab EmiratesUS$ 122 mn → US$ 101 mn-17%
  2. United States of AmericaUS$ 2.48 bn → US$ 2.15 bn-13.5%

Which forms sell, and at what price

India’s exports by 8-digit tariff line, 2025-26. Average price = total value ÷ total quantity (TradeStat): the average of every shipment on that line, not the price of any one deal.

Tariff lineValue 2025-26ChangeQuantityAverage price
Vannamei shrimp (litopenaeus vannamei)0306 17 20 · Crustaceans, frozen, shrimps and prawns, excluding cold-water varieties, in shell or not, smoked, cooked or…US$ 4.05 bn+7.7%6,06,194 tonnesUS$ 6.68 per kgwas US$ 6.58
Crustacean preparations, shrimps and prawns, prepared or preserved, in airtight containers — other shrimps and prawns1605 29 00US$ 596 mn+8.8%64,476 tonnesUS$ 9.24 per kgwas US$ 9.06
Black tiger shrimp (penaeus monodon)0306 17 40 · Crustaceans, frozen, shrimps and prawns, excluding cold-water varieties, in shell or not, smoked, cooked or…US$ 536 mn+42.5%59,546 tonnesUS$ 8.99 per kgwas US$ 9.41
Crustaceans, frozen, shrimps and prawns, excluding cold-water varieties, in shell or not, smoked, cooked or… — other shrimps and prawns0306 17 90US$ 247 mn-1.7%47,813 tonnesUS$ 5.16 per kgwas US$ 5.03
Crustacean preparations, shrimps and prawns, prepared or preserved, not in airtight containers — not in airtight container1605 21 00US$ 70.1 mn-16.3%9,186 tonnesUS$ 7.63 per kgwas US$ 7.49
Accelerated freeze dried(afd)0306 17 11 · Crustaceans, frozen, shrimps and prawns, excluding cold-water varieties, in shell or not, smoked, cooked or…US$ 41.3 mn-5.8%1,232 tonnesUS$ 33.51 per kgwas US$ 34.83
Crustaceans, frozen, shrimps and prawns, excluding cold-water varieties, in shell or not, smoked, cooked or… — other scampi0306 17 19US$ 28.2 mn+12.2%3,045 tonnesUS$ 9.25 per kgwas US$ 9.57
Indian white shrimp (fenneropenaeus indicus)0306 17 30 · Crustaceans, frozen, shrimps and prawns, excluding cold-water varieties, in shell or not, smoked, cooked or…US$ 25.5 mn-18.8%3,641 tonnesUS$ 7.00 per kgwas US$ 7.35
Flower shrimp (penaeus semisulcatus)0306 17 50 · Crustaceans, frozen, shrimps and prawns, excluding cold-water varieties, in shell or not, smoked, cooked or…US$ 12.9 mn-32.1%1,347 tonnesUS$ 9.58 per kgwas US$ 9.56

The world market

Each country’s own recorded exports and imports in UN Comtrade, 2023 (the latest year nearly every country has reported).

World imports
US$ 24.4 bn
2023
India among exporters
#2
of 121 countries
India’s share of world exports
19.4%
US$ 4.89 bn
Left for others to win
US$ 20.3 bn
exported by other countries

Top exporters — your competitors

  1. 1EcuadorUS$ 7.14 bn 28.4%
  2. 2IndiaUS$ 4.89 bn 19.4%
  3. 3Viet NamUS$ 3.16 bn 12.6%
  4. 4ChinaUS$ 1.75 bn 7%
  5. 5IndonesiaUS$ 1.66 bn 6.6%
  6. 6ThailandUS$ 1.18 bn 4.7%
  7. 7ArgentinaUS$ 906 mn 3.6%
  8. 8NetherlandsUS$ 650 mn 2.6%
  9. 9SpainUS$ 419 mn 1.7%
  10. 10HondurasUS$ 275 mn 1.1%

Biggest buyers in the world

  1. 1USAUS$ 6.62 bn 27.2%
  2. 2ChinaUS$ 5.38 bn 22.1%
  3. 3JapanUS$ 1.79 bn 7.4%
  4. 4SpainUS$ 1.19 bn 4.9%
  5. 5FranceUS$ 881 mn 3.6%
  6. 6United KingdomUS$ 697 mn 2.9%
  7. 7Rep. of KoreaUS$ 662 mn 2.7%
  8. 8ItalyUS$ 636 mn 2.6%
  9. 9GermanyUS$ 627 mn 2.6%
  10. 10NetherlandsUS$ 558 mn 2.3%

Opportunity: what these countries buy from the world, and from India

Each country’s own recorded imports in UN Comtrade, latest year it has reported. The long light part of each bar is demand other countries are filling today.

United States of AmericaUS$ 6.29 bnIndia 37.4% · gap US$ 3.94 bn
ChinaUS$ 4.58 bnIndia 16.6% · gap US$ 3.82 bn
JapanUS$ 1.82 bnIndia 16.4% · gap US$ 1.52 bn
SpainUS$ 1.17 bnIndia 1.2% · gap US$ 1.16 bn
FranceUS$ 827 mnIndia 11.8% · gap US$ 729 mn
South KoreaUS$ 660 mnIndia 4.2% · gap US$ 633 mn
ItalyUS$ 670 mnIndia 6.4% · gap US$ 627 mn
United KingdomUS$ 697 mnIndia 17.6% · gap US$ 574 mn
GermanyUS$ 625 mnIndia 13% · gap US$ 544 mn
NetherlandsUS$ 560 mnIndia 13.1% · gap US$ 486 mn

TradeStat’s 2023-24 quantities are double-counted, so that year is left out of the price. Sources: TradeStat — Export Import Data Bank, Department of Commerce · UN Comtrade database (United Nations Statistics Division) · Figures taken 29 October 2026.

Step by step

How to export frozen shrimp

India is one of the world’s largest exporters of frozen shrimp, mostly farmed vannamei from Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Odisha and Tamil Nadu. Ecuador, Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand are the main rivals. The USA has been the biggest market, followed by China, the EU, Japan and Southeast Asia; US duties and tariffs on Indian shrimp have changed several times since 2025, so exporters are spreading risk across markets. The openings are value-added shrimp (cooked, peeled, marinated, breaded), black tiger for premium buyers, and more sales to the EU, Japan and new markets.

  1. 01Register with MPEDA

    Register as an exporter with MPEDA after IEC; merchant exporters must work with an EIC-approved plant.

  2. 02Fix specs and market rules

    Agree species, form, count, glaze, pack and certifications; check the current US duty position before quoting to US buyers.

  3. 03Buy from traceable farms

    Source from registered farms with pre-harvest antibiotic testing.

  4. 04Process and freeze

    Grade, peel, cook or freeze at the plant under its HACCP plan; glaze and pack.

  5. 05Test and certify

    Test residues and microbes; get the EIC health certificate for markets that require it.

  6. 06Ship in reefers

    Load into pre-cooled reefers, record temperatures, file the shipping bill.

  7. 07Get paid and close the file

    Send the original documents through your bank (or to the buyer if paid in advance). Once the money arrives, get the e-BRC and claim RoDTEP and drawback where they apply.

Meet buyers

Trade fairs

Questions

Questions about exporting frozen shrimp

Can I export shrimp without my own plant?
Yes, as an MPEDA-registered merchant exporter, but the shrimp must be processed and packed in an EIC-approved plant.
What does 21/25 mean?
21 to 25 shrimp per pound. Lower numbers mean bigger shrimp.
Why are shipments rejected?
Banned antibiotics, Salmonella, sulphite over limits and short weight from over-glazing.
What about US duties?
Indian shrimp faces US anti-dumping and countervailing duties, and US tariff terms have changed since 2025. Check the current rates on trade.gov and with your US importer before quoting.
Is value-added shrimp worth it?
It earns more per kilo and reaches retail directly, but needs more plant investment and BRCGS-level food safety.
Sources (6)
  1. MPEDA — Become an exporter (registration)
  2. MPEDA — Shrimp products, grades and packing
  3. EIC — Export of fresh, frozen and processed fish and fishery products
  4. US International Trade Administration — anti-dumping and countervailing duties
  5. Codex Alimentarius — list of standards
  6. EU — Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on food information to consumers

Who buys Indian frozen shrimp

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