The US was the largest market for India’s seafood, valued at USD 7.38 billion, accounting for around 35% of the total market. Ecuador is expected to capture a significant share of this market due to its proximity to the US and lower tariff barriers.“Our primary concern is to expand the domestic market and diversify our export markets as soon as possible,” said Ramashankar Naik, Commissioner of the Fisheries Department in Andhra Pradesh. “This is a challenging time for the seafood sector, and it needs to be addressed promptly to save the industry,” Naik emphasized.Andhra Pradesh alone contributes about 75% of all seafood exports, followed by Kerala, Gujarat, and Odisha. The seafood basket includes frozen shrimp, frozen fish, octopus, surimi, lobster, cuttlefish, dried fish, and fish meal.When asked about the impact of the US tariffs, a senior officer remarked, “The US is just one of the 130 countries to which India exports fish and seafood. We will manage this situation soon.”India’s export of seafood contribution to EU has dropped from 35% to 11% in past one decade.“We will soon gain our market to compensate our US loss,” said Naik.
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