Commercial Fishing NAICS 1141

Jan 27, 2026 - Tariffs Benefiting US Shrimpers

• President Trump’s 50% tariffs on Indian shrimp are reshaping the market in ways that directly benefit US shrimp producers, The Wall Street Journal reports. With Indian imports suddenly far more expensive, major buyers like Costco and Walmart are expected to shift sourcing toward lower‑tariff countries such as Ecuador and increasingly toward domestic Gulf and South Atlantic fleets. Indian producers warn their output may fall by 20%, reducing the low‑cost foreign supply. For US shrimpers, the shift is already translating into stronger dockside prices and higher demand. Louisiana producers report prices rising from $0.87 to $1.25 per pound and a surge in fishing trips and sales exceeding 50%, according to WSJ. The tariffs effectively narrow the long‑standing price gap between imported farmed shrimp and wild‑caught US product, improving margins and market share for domestic fleets, while boosting revenues and revitalizing activity across Gulf Coast communities.
• The newly-released 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recognize seafood as a whole-food source of key nutrients and encourage Americans to prioritize omega-3 fatty acids, Seafood Source reports. The DGAs create demand‑side opportunities for seafood producers. By explicitly prioritizing high‑quality protein and healthy fats while discouraging processed foods, they elevate seafood as a core “real food” category and recommend three or more servings per week, a substantial increase over current US consumption. This positions seafood as a preferred nutrient‑dense protein across all life stages, including infants, pregnant women, and adolescents, expanding the addressable market for fishers and manufacturers of fresh, frozen, canned, and value‑added products. Because the DGAs shape dozens of federal nutrition programs, the industry can expect higher procurement volumes from schools, military dining, veteran programs, and child nutrition services. The emphasis on omega‑3s, choline, and B12 strengthens the case for species like salmon, pollock, tuna, and shrimp.

• Grocery price inflation caused seafood sales at US retail stores to fall in October, Seafood News reported in November, citing new data from consumer research firm Circana. Frozen seafood prices rose 5.3% year over year in October, contributing to sales declines of 2.7% by value to $723 million and a 7.6% drop in volume, according to Circana. Two major species in the frozen category, shrimp and salmon, realized price increases of 9.2%. The latest data from the Labor Department shows that fish and seafood prices rose 2.1% year over year in September but eased 0.3% from August. The price of processed fish and seafood rose 1% YoY in September, while prices for frozen fish and seafood jumped 6.6% over the same period.
• According to a new report from NOAA Fisheries, there were 95 large whale entanglement cases documented in 2024, an increase from 2023 and higher than the historical average. 2024’s entanglement count is above the average annual number of confirmed entanglements over the previous 17 years, which was 71.4. The National Report on Large Whale Entanglements Confirmed in the United States in 2024, released in September, finds that entanglements in fishing gear or marine debris represent an ongoing threat to the welfare and recovery of many whale species, including species that are endangered and approaching extinction (e.g., North Atlantic right whales). Entanglements involving threatened or endangered species can have significant negative impacts on the population as a whole. NOAA's Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan has required some fishermen to use gear, like weaker ropes, that lower the risk of entanglement.