This increase in rupee value, which took place after the announcement of the government election, can affect exporters’ revenues. An issue that is added to the fact that demand from the US, a primary buyer of shrimp from India, has shown a recessionary trend, the Business Standard reported.
Amid slack demand and fluctuating prices, exports are also affected by increased harvesting of this marine product in other countries like Vietnam and Ecuador, leading to a fall in the demand of Indian shrimp, which is expected to fall by about 20 per cent in value terms this fiscal.
Therefore, prices of shrimp have dropped by 25-30 per cent. While the price of shrimp of 16-20 grade has fallen from USD 16 per kilogram to about USD 12, the same for 31-40 grade shrimp has come down to USD 8.5 per kilogram from USD 11 in December-January period.
According to the estimates of Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), India’s seafood export crossed one million tonne mark for the first time with profits amounting to over USD 4.5 billion in 2013-2014 (1 April 2013-31 March 2014).
This record performance was due to two major factors — fall in production and exports of South Asian countries and the lowering of countervailing duty on Indian shrimp in US.
“From the beginning of this fiscal, exporters are hit hard due to the sudden appreciation of rupee and rising input costs for farmers, particularly towards seeds and feeds,” pointed out Gorachand Mohanty, president of the Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI)-Odisha region.
Sector sources reported that the above mentioned changes in the currency exchange rate have forced many importers to cancel their orders or renegotiate the prices.
Fishing industry looks for bailout package
With the seafood industry finding itself in troubled waters due to a variety of reasons, the exporters and trawler operators are baying for a bailout package from the new government at the Centre.
Achieving the export target of $15 billion by 2015 turning into a Herculean task, the industry is looking at a booster dose with a slew of incentives. The most important among them is to dispense with Letters of Permission (LoP) being given to some foreign vessels registered in the name of Indian firms.
“To put an end to overexploitation of fish resources, we are sensitising the industry on sustainable technologies. Even the LoP system may soon become a closed chapter,” Y.S. Yadava, Director of Bay of Bengal Programme (an inter-governmental organisation) and former Central Fisheries Commissioner, has told The Hindu.
Sources say the export market is under-explored even though there is a heavy demand for sushi grade tuna, shrimp, lobsters and other varieties to the United States, Japan and the European Union countries, known for their penchant for seafood. India contributes less than 1 per cent of ornamental fish exports – an area which is yet to be tapped fully.
“We have 8,129-long coastline with two million square km of Exclusive Economic Zone and 1.2 million hectares of brackish water body. A series of incentives with thrust on augmenting infrastructure will boost our turnover from inland and marine fisheries,” says Y.G.K. Murti, president of Federation of Indian Fishery Industries (FIFI).
Oozing out confidence that with local MP K. Haribabu familiar with the problems of the industry and change of guard at the Centre and in the State, he says they will get their voice heard at the State and the Centre for formulating a policy to encourage the fisheries sector in a big way.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached US$1.14 billion in August 2026, up 6.4% year on year, bringing the total for the first eight months to more than US$8.0 billion, an increase of 11.9%. Monthly export value remained above US$1 billion, but August growth was only around half the rate recorded cumulatively through the first eight months. This indicates that the eight-month result was supported significantly by stronger performance in earlier months, while market conditions are entering a less predictable period.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Pangasius is attracting growing interest from Japanese seafood companies as prices of many traditional whitefish species remain high and supply becomes increasingly volatile. Notably, seafood group Kyokuyo has recently continued to feature pangasius among its priority products, highlighting its competitive pricing and stable supply.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) As Vietnam’s tilapia industry searches for new growth opportunities, venturing into brackish-water aquaculture could unlock a formidable competitive moat. Bypassing the volume-and-price bloodbath against established global heavyweights, Vietnam could differentiate itself through high-quality tilapia products tailored to specific farming conditions and value-added market segments.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) 2026 is rapidly shaping up to be a formidable stress test for Vietnamese pangasius exports to the United States. While exports to alternative markets maintain a resilient growth trajectory, the U.S market has declined significantly. In the first eight months of the year, pangasius exports to the U.S fell by nearly 14% year-on-year, with August alone recording a decline of more than 50%. The trend shows that difficulties in the U.S. market are not driven solely by weak consumer demand, but also by multiple layers of trade barriers that are intensifying simultaneously, particularly additional import tariffs, anti-dumping duties and growing protectionism for the domestic catfish industry.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports to Japan are showing positive signals in 2026, indicating that the market is opening up greater opportunities for pangasius products, particularly processed and value-added products. In the first seven months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to Japan reached US$31 million, up 20% year-on-year. In July alone, export value reached approximately US$5 million, up 30%.
On July 22, 2026, the Government issued Decree No. 292/2026/ND-CP detailing certain articles and providing measures for the organization and implementation of the Law on Foreign Trade Management. The Decree takes effect on September 5, 2026, replacing Decree No. 69/2018/ND-CP.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnamese pangasius producer Vinh Hoan has won the top prize at the 2026 Seafood Excellence Asia Awards for its Cured Panga Croquette, highlighting the growing potential of value-added pangasius products in international markets.
(vasep.com.vn) The Global Shrimp Forum (GSF) 2026 is taking place from September 1–3 in Utrecht, the Netherlands, bringing together around 585 delegates from 40 countries, representing approximately 300 companies and organizations across the shrimp supply chain. Representatives from VASEP are attending the event as part of the Vietnamese delegation, strengthening connections with partners across the global shrimp industry.
(vasep.com.vn) At the international B2B seminar (Hosted Buyer Program) held as part of Vietfish 2026, Mr. Nguyen Hoang Pham, Sales Director of Tai Kim Anh Seafood Processing Joint Stock Company, delivered a presentation entitled “Vietnam’s Shrimp Industry: Changing for Sustainability.” From the perspective of a seafood processor, the presentation highlighted that Vietnam’s shrimp industry continues to play a leading role in seafood exports, but is entering a new phase of competition in which change is no longer an option, but a prerequisite for growth.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) VIETFISH 2026 may have concluded after three dynamic days in Ho Chi Minh City, but conversations around the exhibition continue to resonate across international trade media, industry organizations, and the social media channels of participating companies.
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