China imported 85,458 MT of shrimp in May 2026, up 15% YoY. This followed strong YoY growth in each of the first four months of the year, including +36% in January, +15% in February, +24% in March, and +33% in April. For the first five months of 2026, China’s shrimp imports reached 429,077 MT, up 25% YoY. Import value reached $437 million in May, up 16% YoY. Year-to-date import value stood at $2.207 billion, up 21% YoY. The gap between the YTD increase in volume and value reflects a different mix compared with last year.
Suppliers
Ecuador remained China’s dominant supplier in May, shipping 65,423 MT, up 26% YoY. Its YTD volume reached 328,740 MT, up 29% YoY, accounting for the large majority of China’s import growth so far this year.
India shipped 12,352 MT to China in May, down 12% YoY, after four consecutive months of strong YoY growth. For the first five months of 2026, India’s shipments still reached 62,100 MT, up 31% YoY.
Thailand shipped 2,589 MT in May, up 28% YoY, bringing its YTD total to 10,145 MT, up 10% YoY. Argentina shipped 2,144 MT, up 59% YoY in May, although its YTD total remained down 15% YoY at 8,165 MT. Indonesia shipped 1,322 MT in May, down 15% YoY, while its YTD total stood at 5,868 MT, up 28% YoY.
Byte in Numbers
Total Import
- Volume
- Jun: 85,901 MT = +9% YoY
- Jul: 90,683 MT = +10% YoY
- Aug: 85,498 MT = +5% YoY
- Sep: 66,757 MT = +1% YoY
- Oct: 70,133 MT = -0% YoY
- Nov: 76,396 MT = -3% YoY
- Dec: 82,409 MT = -9% YoY
- 2025 Year-Total: 901,563 MT = -2% YoY
- Jan: 94,707 MT = +36% YoY
- Feb: 71,379 MT = +15% YoY
- Mar: 84,105 MT = +24% YoY
- Apr: 93,427 MT = +33% YoY
- May: 85,458 MT = +15% YoY
- 2026 YTD: 429,077 MT = +25% YoY
- Value
- Jun: $442 million = +17% YoY
- Jul: $464 million = +17% YoY
- Aug: $443 million = +12% YoY
- Sep: $358 million = +9% YoY
- Oct: $380 million = +8% YoY
- Nov: $428 million = +2% YoY
- Dec: $456 million = -9% YoY
- 2025 Year-Total: $4,794 million = +5% YoY
- Jan: $505 million = +27% YoY
- Feb: $364 million = +7% YoY
- Mar: $429 million = +22% YoY
- Apr: $473 million = +33% YoY
- May: $437 million = +16% YoY
- 2026 YTD: $2,207 million = +21% YoY
Top Five Suppliers by Volume
- Ecuador
- Jun: 64,793 MT = +3% YoY
- Jul: 69,327 MT = +16% YoY
- Aug: 65,633 MT = +8% YoY
- Sep: 46,850 MT = -6% YoY
- Oct: 48,371 MT = -8% YoY
- Nov: 50,539 MT = -7% YoY
- Dec: 51,198 MT = -20% YoY
- 2025 Year-Total: 651,866 MT = -3% YoY
- Jan: 73,358 MT = +44% YoY
- Feb: 55,682 MT = +13% YoY
- Mar: 63,561 MT = +25% YoY
- Apr: 70,717 MT = +35% YoY
- May: 65,423 MT = +26% YoY
- 2026 YTD: 328,740 MT = +29% YoY
- India
- Jun: 14,522 MT = +28% YoY
- Jul: 14,570 MT = -7% YoY
- Aug: 10,357 MT = -20% YoY
- Sep: 13,877 MT = +46% YoY
- Oct: 13,937 MT = +56% YoY
- Nov: 14,623 MT = +2% YoY
- Dec: 20,437 MT = +58% YoY
- 2025 Year-Total: 149,599 MT = +6% YoY
- Jan: 14,066 MT = +39% YoY
- Feb: 8,486 MT = +44% YoY
- Mar: 12,969 MT = +83% YoY
- Apr: 14,227 MT = +41% YoY
- May: 12,352 MT = -12% YoY
- 2026 YTD: 62,100 MT = +31% YoY
- Thailand
- Jun: 2,440 MT = +73% YoY
- Jul: 2,294 MT = +125% YoY
- Aug: 2,584 MT = +30% YoY
- Sep: 2,784 MT = +59% YoY
- Oct: 2,148 MT = +1% YoY
- Nov: 3,477 MT = +62% YoY
- Dec: 2,787 MT = -4% YoY
- 2025 Year-Total: 27,739 MT = +19% YoY
- Jan: 2,180 MT = +14% YoY
- Feb: 1,515 MT = +26% YoY
- Mar: 2,336 MT = +16% YoY
- Apr: 1,524 MT = -26% YoY
- May: 2,589 MT = +28% YoY
- 2026 YTD: 10,145 MT = +10% YoY
- Argentina
- Jun: 1,798 MT = +247% YoY
- Jul: 1,113 MT = +137% YoY
- Aug: 630 MT = +2% YoY
- Sep: 570 MT = -60% YoY
- Oct: 879 MT = -53% YoY
- Nov: 2,546 MT = -22% YoY
- Dec: 2,075 MT = +78% YoY
- 2025 Year-Total: 19,170 MT = +10% YoY
- Jan: 829 MT = +44% YoY
- Feb: 872 MT = -71% YoY
- Mar: 1,911 MT = -21% YoY
- Apr: 2,409 MT = +7% YoY
- May: 2,144 MT = +59% YoY
- 2026 YTD: 8,165 MT = -15% YoY
- Indonesia
- Jun: 240 MT = -43% YoY
- Jul: 1,312 MT = +15% YoY
- Aug: 1,460 MT = +263% YoY
- Sep: 278 MT = -24% YoY
- Oct: 1,382 MT = +3% YoY
- Nov: 1,732 MT = +13% YoY
- Dec: 2,145 MT = +32% YoY
- 2025 Year-Total: 13,137 MT = +28% YoY
- Jan: 501 MT = -56% YoY
- Feb: 1,477 MT = +293% YoY
- Mar: 1,377 MT = +1% YoY
- Apr: 1,192 MT = +681% YoY
- May: 1,322 MT = -15% YoY
- 2026 YTD: 5,868 MT = +28% YoY
