South American and Asian exporters experience massive surge in demand as shipments approach historic peaks

A dramatic resurgence in the seafood trade is underway as China’s warm-water shrimp import market extended its rapid upward trajectory through April 2026, marking four consecutive months of accelerating growth.

According to the latest trade data reported by Food World (Beijing), China imported 93,427 tons of various shrimp products in April alone, representing a sharp 33% increase year-on-year. The financial value of these imports mirrored this growth exactly, climbing 33% year-on-year to reach US$473 million.

Photo: Taobao -->

This momentum has solidified a highly lucrative opening trimester for the industry. In the first four months of 2026, China's cumulative shrimp imports reached 343,619 tons—a 27% year-on-year volume expansion—with a total import value surging 22% to US$1.77 billion.

A Drastic Rebound From Last Year

The rapid acceleration observed in early 2026 signals a major correction from the market performance of the previous year. In 2025, China’s total shrimp imports contracted slightly, dropping 2% year-on-year to finish at 901,600 tons.

The current figures reveal that the pace of buying did not slow down moving into the second quarter of 2026. Instead, April’s massive intake neared peak-season levels last seen in 2024, a phenomenon rarely observed in recent years. In fact, China’s imports during the first four months of 2026 alone have already eclipsed 38% of the entire volume imported during the previous year.

A month-by-month breakdown highlights how rapidly the procurement engine has spun up since the start of the year:

• January: 94,707 tons (up 36% year-on-year)

• February: 71,379 tons (up 15% year-on-year)

• March: 84,105 tons (up 24% year-on-year)

• April: 93,427 tons (up 33% year-on-year)

Click on the image to enlarge it

Ecuador Dominates the Market

Ecuador has firmly cemented its position as the absolute primary supplier for the Chinese marketplace, relying on massive purchase volumes to act as the core economic anchor for its domestic shrimp industry.

Ecuadorian producers shipped 70,717 tons of shrimp to China in April, jumping 35% compared to the same month last year. This brought Ecuador's cumulative four-month total to 263,317 tons—a 30% year-on-year increase. Remarkably, Ecuador single-handedly commanded more than 76% of China’s entire shrimp import market share during this period.

Ecuadorian farmed whole white shrimp Expalsa Brand. Photo: Taobao

This boom marks a swift recovery for South American exporters, who faced intense downward pressure in the latter half of 2025, culminating in a 20% year-on-year decline in December 2025. However, 2026 brought an immediate turnaround, starting with a 44% spike in January and followed by four consecutive months of robust, double-digit growth.

India Stays Competitive as Indonesia Skyrockets

While Ecuador leads in sheer volume, India is securing a steeper growth curve by targeting specific niches. Indian shrimp exports to China hit 14,227 tons in April (up 41%), bringing its four-month cumulative total to 49,748 tons—a massive 50% surge year-on-year.

India’s monthly growth rate has been exceptionally aggressive this year, posting a 39% increase in January, 44% in February, and a spectacular 83% surge in March. Unlike Ecuador’s bulk shipments, Indian products have remained highly concentrated in specialized size specifications and processed goods, highlighting a subtle structural shift in what Chinese consumers are buying.

Ecuadorian farmed white shrimp Pescanova brand. Photo: Taobao -->

Concurrently, Indonesia has emerged as an incredibly volatile yet hyper-active player. Though still small in total volume, Indonesia exported 1,192 tons to China in April, logging a staggering 681% year-on-year explosion. Its cumulative four-month total stands at 4,546 tons, up 50% year-on-year.

Divergent Fortunes for Thailand and Argentina

Not all supplying nations shared in the spring bounty, as regional competition began squeezing traditional exporters.

Thailand, which enjoyed a stellar 19% annual export growth to China in 2025—including a remarkable 125% year-on-year surge in July 2025—suddenly hit a wall. Thai shipments dropped 26% year-on-year in April to 1,524 tons. Strong numbers from earlier in the winter kept Thailand's four-month cumulative total in positive territory at 7,556 tons (up 5%), but the sudden slowdown points to intensifying market friction.

Meanwhile, Argentine red shrimp continue to face high volatility due to pricing pressures and a fluctuating domestic consumer recovery in China. Argentina exported 2,409 tons to China in April (up 7%), but its cumulative four-month total of 6,021 tons remains down 27% year-on-year. This follows a brutal winter where Argentine product import prices plummeted by 71% in February and an additional 21% in March.

<-- Wild-caught Argentine red shrimp, extra-large 2kg. Photo: Taobao

The Economic Undercurrent

An analysis of the financial data reveals an important takeaway for global trade: China’s procurement volume is growing noticeably faster (27%) than the overall import value (22%). This gap proves that average wholesale shrimp prices remain lower than they were during the same period last year.

The market is still shaking off the deflationary trends of late 2025, a period when China's monthly import value in December dropped by 9% alongside a matching 9% drop in volume, forcing the industry to rely heavily on high-volume circulation just to sustain trade channels.

Ultimately, the sustained expansion through the first four months of 2026 highlights a vastly improved capacity within the Chinese domestic market to clear out existing inventory and absorb heavy supply. By successfully managing these massive, escalating inflows from Ecuador and India, China has firmly reclaimed its status as the single most critical growth market driving the global farmed shrimp trade.