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In 2013, consumers and businesses found themselves paying higher prices for shrimp with less product available in supermarkets and restaurants. One of the leading factors behind higher shrimp prices since 2010 is a shortage of imports from the top shrimp producers in Southeast Asia due to an early mortality syndrome (EMS) epidemic in juvenile shrimp.
Date | All imports excluding fuel | Fish and shellfish |
---|---|---|
Jan 2004 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
Feb 2004 | 100.5 | 102.8 |
Mar 2004 | 100.9 | 107.4 |
Apr 2004 | 101.2 | 109.9 |
May 2004 | 101.4 | 108.0 |
Jun 2004 | 101.2 | 107.5 |
Jul 2004 | 101.3 | 110.0 |
Aug 2004 | 101.7 | 110.6 |
Sep 2004 | 101.9 | 109.1 |
Oct 2004 | 101.8 | 108.7 |
Nov 2004 | 102.0 | 108.0 |
Dec 2004 | 102.5 | 108.5 |
Jan 2005 | 103.0 | 109.6 |
Feb 2005 | 103.3 | 110.9 |
Mar 2005 | 103.4 | 112.8 |
Apr 2005 | 103.6 | 111.8 |
May 2005 | 103.4 | 111.2 |
Jun 2005 | 103.3 | 111.0 |
Jul 2005 | 103.1 | 113.6 |
Aug 2005 | 103.0 | 114.8 |
Sep 2005 | 103.3 | 114.8 |
Oct 2005 | 103.4 | 116.2 |
Nov 2005 | 103.3 | 114.4 |
Dec 2005 | 103.5 | 115.3 |
Jan 2006 | 103.8 | 115.0 |
Feb 2006 | 104.0 | 117.4 |
Mar 2006 | 104.1 | 119.1 |
Apr 2006 | 104.2 | 118.0 |
May 2006 | 105.0 | 118.9 |
Jun 2006 | 105.6 | 119.5 |
Jul 2006 | 105.6 | 120.8 |
Aug 2006 | 105.9 | 121.3 |
Sep 2006 | 106.2 | 121.4 |
Oct 2006 | 106.1 | 120.4 |
Nov 2006 | 106.2 | 118.6 |
Dec 2006 | 106.5 | 118.3 |
Jan 2007 | 106.8 | 121.3 |
Feb 2007 | 106.6 | 123.3 |
Mar 2007 | 106.8 | 123.7 |
Apr 2007 | 107.1 | 122.9 |
May 2007 | 107.6 | 123.4 |
Jun 2007 | 107.9 | 124.0 |
Jul 2007 | 108.2 | 125.6 |
Aug 2007 | 108.5 | 126.4 |
Sep 2007 | 108.5 | 126.9 |
Oct 2007 | 109.0 | 126.2 |
Nov 2007 | 109.4 | 125.0 |
Dec 2007 | 109.8 | 125.3 |
Jan 2008 | 110.5 | 127.5 |
Feb 2008 | 111.1 | 127.6 |
Mar 2008 | 112.2 | 131.6 |
Apr 2008 | 113.5 | 132.2 |
May 2008 | 114.1 | 129.8 |
Jun 2008 | 114.8 | 134.0 |
Jul 2008 | 115.5 | 134.3 |
Aug 2008 | 115.7 | 137.3 |
Sep 2008 | 115.1 | 134.1 |
Oct 2008 | 114.2 | 131.9 |
Nov 2008 | 112.2 | 128.5 |
Dec 2008 | 111.0 | 125.2 |
Jan 2009 | 110.2 | 126.1 |
Feb 2009 | 109.8 | 124.2 |
Mar 2009 | 109.1 | 126.5 |
Apr 2009 | 109.2 | 125.2 |
May 2009 | 109.4 | 124.3 |
Jun 2009 | 109.6 | 125.7 |
Jul 2009 | 109.4 | 125.1 |
Aug 2009 | 109.8 | 125.5 |
Sep 2009 | 110.2 | 124.8 |
Oct 2009 | 110.6 | 126.2 |
Nov 2009 | 110.9 | 125.6 |
Dec 2009 | 111.3 | 125.6 |
Jan 2010 | 111.7 | 124.8 |
Feb 2010 | 111.8 | 125.6 |
Mar 2010 | 112.0 | 127.2 |
Apr 2010 | 112.7 | 130.3 |
May 2010 | 113.2 | 133.0 |
Jun 2010 | 112.7 | 134.1 |
Jul 2010 | 112.4 | 136.2 |
Aug 2010 | 112.7 | 138.5 |
Sep 2010 | 113.0 | 140.6 |
Oct 2010 | 113.4 | 144.1 |
Nov 2010 | 114.3 | 145.8 |
Dec 2010 | 114.7 | 148.3 |
Jan 2011 | 115.5 | 151.6 |
Feb 2011 | 116.1 | 151.2 |
Mar 2011 | 116.9 | 153.1 |
Apr 2011 | 117.9 | 156.9 |
May 2011 | 118.3 | 158.3 |
Jun 2011 | 118.3 | 159.1 |
Jul 2011 | 118.5 | 161.9 |
Aug 2011 | 118.8 | 160.2 |
Sep 2011 | 119.1 | 160.1 |
Oct 2011 | 118.8 | 160.8 |
Nov 2011 | 118.5 | 158.3 |
Dec 2011 | 118.6 | 157.4 |
Jan 2012 | 118.8 | 159.9 |
Feb 2012 | 118.8 | 157.9 |
Mar 2012 | 119.3 | 158.7 |
Apr 2012 | 119.5 | 158.8 |
May 2012 | 119.4 | 155.5 |
Jun 2012 | 119.0 | 155.3 |
Jul 2012 | 118.5 | 152.3 |
Aug 2012 | 118.3 | 151.0 |
Sep 2012 | 118.6 | 150.1 |
Oct 2012 | 118.9 | 150.4 |
Nov 2012 | 118.7 | 152.1 |
Dec 2012 | 118.6 | 150.6 |
Jan 2013 | 118.8 | 151.8 |
Feb 2013 | 118.9 | 155.3 |
Mar 2013 | 118.8 | 161.2 |
Apr 2013 | 118.6 | 166.5 |
May 2013 | 118.1 | 170.0 |
Jun 2013 | 117.8 | 170.8 |
Jul 2013 | 117.3 | 172.4 |
Aug 2013 | 117.1 | 176.4 |
Sep 2013 | 117.2 | 181.9 |
Oct 2013 | 117.3 | 186.1 |
Nov 2013 | 117.3 | 184.2 |
Dec 2013 | 117.2 | 183.3 |
Jan 2014 | 117.5 | 190.5 |
Feb 2014 | 117.5 | 191.0 |
Mar 2014 | 117.8 | 191.3 |
A bacterial disease known as acute hepatopancreatic necrosis syndrome (AHPNS) causes EMS. The disease spreads quickly as shrimp eat and infect other shrimp, and it can wipe out a pond’s entire shrimp population within a matter of months. In addition, the syndrome’s onset takes place before the shrimp are mature enough to reproduce. First appearing in China in 2009, AHPNS spread to Vietnam in 2010, Malaysia in 2011, and Thailand, the world’s largest shrimp exporter, in 2012. AHPNS has affected shrimp supplies, particularly Pacific white shrimp and black tiger shrimp, in the latter three countries.
With the problem now identified, the shrimp industry is hopeful that production will start to increase. In the meantime, other countries, such as India, have increased their production to help ease some of the pressure. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. shrimp imports from India increased 42.8 percent in 2013.
Country | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Thailand | 404,372,876 | 424,978,695 | 448,177,820 | 409,581,095 | 300,006,265 | 185,514,706 |
Indonesia | 185,297,674 | 152,843,187 | 134,690,411 | 155,060,940 | 163,311,539 | 178,786,098 |
Ecuador | 124,199,261 | 135,754,432 | 143,355,643 | 162,681,017 | 178,934,031 | 163,902,764 |
Vietnam | 106,486,618 | 93,045,714 | 106,622,094 | 100,144,289 | 90,724,752 | 131,745,462 |
India | 34,025,587 | 43,949,755 | 66,585,881 | 106,317,162 | 145,418,448 | 207,699,729 |
China (Mainland) | 106,178,864 | 97,133,851 | 106,030,837 | 94,737,819 | 78,575,953 | 71,569,786 |
Mexico | 76,047,345 | 90,657,996 | 51,888,585 | 68,063,191 | 57,556,421 | 40,673,514 |
Other countries | 212,287,612 | 179,052,816 | 179,373,557 | 175,453,279 | 162,033,456 | 140,173,359 |
Source: Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. |
Country | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Thailand | 244,262,155 | 247,902,552 | 269,157,712 | 234,556,567 | 175,137,050 | 99,156,464 |
Ecuador | 122,345,249 | 133,828,968 | 141,520,489 | 159,902,021 | 175,015,802 | 160,029,655 |
Indonesia | 159,887,713 | 126,881,309 | 114,302,492 | 131,029,654 | 141,597,827 | 151,291,830 |
India | 29,656,696 | 37,325,207 | 61,542,052 | 99,263,637 | 138,621,109 | 194,396,954 |
Vietnam | 88,621,832 | 77,210,472 | 79,643,934 | 67,043,126 | 64,975,539 | 81,046,759 |
Mexico | 75,965,238 | 90,599,569 | 51,792,678 | 67,851,367 | 57,135,795 | 39,933,035 |
Malaysia | 58,741,278 | 34,016,217 | 49,886,389 | 60,759,779 | 48,671,903 | 21,403,584 |
Other countries | 164,508,744 | 148,280,243 | 147,079,077 | 128,053,884 | 121,953,981 | 123,675,815 |
Source: Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. |
Country | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
China (Mainland) | 920,738 | 1,244,339 | 1,002,281 | 2,195,188 | 1,319,828 | 1,339,811 |
India | 821,828 | 1,000,729 | 1,013,553 | 1,043,952 | 1,020,057 | 164,624 |
Thailand | 415,055 | 419,257 | 319,485 | 319,955 | 236,388 | 127,096 |
Ecuador | 165,940 | 52,832 | 103,059 | 174,985 | 501,047 | 481,002 |
Pakistan | 296,874 | 170,792 | 201,943 | 224,435 | 130,029 | 66,359 |
Malaysia | 180,865 | 189,243 | 232,074 | 134,264 | 156,552 | 171,121 |
South Korea | 334,538 | 71,108 | 71,176 | 181,354 | 189,959 | 197,686 |
Other countries | 1,215,540 | 1,067,868 | 956,848 | 960,142 | 517,989 | 513,609 |
Source: Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. |
Country | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Thailand | 159,695,666 | 176,656,886 | 178,700,623 | 174,704,574 | 124,632,826 | 86,231,146 |
China (Mainland) | 68,241,872 | 71,591,376 | 72,187,997 | 64,615,498 | 56,991,137 | 53,627,088 |
Vietnam | 17,820,738 | 15,608,834 | 26,798,283 | 32,774,956 | 25,706,503 | 50,696,584 |
Indonesia | 25,129,554 | 25,961,801 | 20,387,919 | 24,031,286 | 21,642,036 | 27,493,907 |
India | 3,547,063 | 5,623,819 | 4,030,276 | 6,009,572 | 5,777,282 | 13,138,152 |
Canada | 8,838,671 | 5,081,343 | 4,263,126 | 4,372,043 | 3,475,132 | 3,549,133 |
Malaysia | 7,470,871 | 6,407,249 | 3,555,755 | 3,628,437 | 1,792,073 | 657,390 |
Other countries | 9,811,119 | 10,224,433 | 7,975,606 | 8,208,116 | 9,363,021 | 10,676,616 |
Source: Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. |
These data are from the BLS International Price Program and the U.S. Bureau of the Census. To learn more, see “Shrimp disease in Asia resulting in high U.S. import prices” (HTML) (PDF), by Kristen Reed and Sharon Royales, Beyond the Numbers, June 2014.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Shrimp disease in Asia resulting in high U.S. import prices at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2014/ted_20140630.htm (visited October 31, 2024).