Ecuador's shrimp sector recorded a growth of 19.5% in value and 13.6% in volume compared to 2024

Shrimp Dethrones Oil: Ecuador Transforms its Export Matrix

ECUADOR
Monday, December 08, 2025, 00:10 (GMT + 9)

Historic Milestone: For the First Time, the Aquaculture Product Leads Accumulated Exports, Surpassing Decades of Crude Oil Dependency

Quito, Ecuador — The Ecuadorian government has officially recognized a paradigm shift in the national economy: shrimp is replacing oil as the country's main source of external revenue. This transition marks a historic turning point after decades of crude oil dominance in exports.

The Minister of Production, Foreign Trade, Investment, and Fisheries, Luis Alberto Jaramillo, confirmed this trend in an interview with Teleamazonas. "I believe that is happening, I think we are on that path," Jaramillo noted, emphasizing the "very important progress on the productivity frontier of the most technified pools" and the "potential for continued growth" of the aquaculture sector.

Historic Figures and Sustained Growth

According to updated data from the Central Bank of Ecuador (BCE), the shrimp sector has achieved unprecedented primacy.

• Historic Lead: For the first time, a non-oil product—shrimp—has led the country's accumulated exports over nine months of a year.

• Growth Contrast: While shrimp experienced growth of 19.5 % in value and 13.6 % in volume compared to 2024, FOB revenues from oil fell by 20 %, with an 8.4 % decrease in exported volume.

This exponential growth in shrimp is due to a combination of investment in technology, genetic improvement (allowing for faster production cycles), and successful adaptation to biosecurity protocols that minimize health risks. Ecuador is recognized globally for the quality and sustainability of its shrimp production, which has allowed it to consolidate its position against Asian competitors.

Diversification of Key Markets

The shrimp sector has worked on diversifying its export destinations, a crucial strategy for mitigating risks. Minister Jaramillo explained that the dependence on China, while still the main destination, has been significantly reduced "from close to 60 % to 40 %."

Concurrently, sales to the United States have experienced sustained growth, despite the application of a temporary surtax.

The National Aquaculture Chamber (CNA) has played a fundamental role in the international promotion and commercial defense of the Ecuadorian product, underscoring its position as one of the world's largest shrimp exporters by volume.

Commercial Agreements Agenda to Boost Non-Oil Exports

To sustain this structural change, the government is accelerating its trade opening agenda. Jaramillo confirmed that the immediate priority is to finalize the extension of tariff benefits with the United States, aiming to include the 50 % of Ecuadorian products that are still outside the negotiated annexes.

After securing an agreement with the United States, Ecuador's focus will shift to other high-importance markets, with priority negotiations toward:

• South Korea

• Canada

• United Arab Emirates

• Japan

Additionally, new possibilities for regional agreements are being explored with Panama and El Salvador.

The minister projects that non-oil exports will close 2025 with growth close to 18 % and the goal is to maintain a double-digit pace for 2026.

Ecuador is demonstrating a change of "history so that our products compete with the best in the world," concluded Jaramillo, in a clear message of reorienting the national economy toward sustainable production and non-traditional exports.

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