Ecuador exported 165,538 MT of shrimp in May, up 9% year-on-year and the highest monthly export volume ever recorded by the country. Export value reached $847 million, up 8% year-on-year. The May result brings Ecuador’s year-to-date exports to 668,763 MT, up 13% compared with the same period last year. Year-to-date export value reached $3.52 billion, up 12% year-on-year.
May is typically a high-volume month for Ecuador. In 2024 and 2025, May was already the strongest month of the year, while in 2022 and 2023, it also ranked among the highest-volume months. In that sense, the 2026 pattern follows Ecuador’s recent seasonal trend. But the scale of this year’s May shipment is exceptional. At 165,538 MT, Ecuador moved well beyond last year’s May record of 151,521 MT and set a new benchmark for the global shrimp industry.
Markets
China remained Ecuador’s largest market in May, importing 83,466 MT, up 1% year-on-year and accounting for roughly half of total exports. In the year to date, exports to China reached 342,669 MT, up 17% year-on-year.
The United States continued to show strong growth. May exports reached 32,715 MT, up 23% year-on-year, bringing year-to-date exports to 145,696 MT, up 29% compared with last year.
Exports to the EU recovered in May after a weak start to the year. May shipments reached 28,512 MT, up 9% year-on-year. However, year-to-date exports to the EU remained down 12% at 98,586 MT.
Russia, Guatemala and Viet Nam remained much smaller markets, but all three continued to grow in May. Russia reached 2,851 MT, up 41% year-on-year; Guatemala reached 1,660 MT, up 45%; and Viet Nam reached 1,458 MT, up 16%.
Ecuador’s May performance confirms that the country is not only maintaining its growth trajectory but also pushing the ceiling of global shrimp supply higher once again.
Byte in Numbers
Total Export
- Volume
- Jun: 126,074 MT = +18% YoY
- Jul: 107,423 MT = +10% YoY
- Aug: 107,430 MT = +3% YoY
- Sep: 104,201 MT = +9% YoY
- Oct: 116,109 MT = +35% YoY
- Nov: 123,005 MT = +4% YoY
- Dec: 117,089 MT = +24% YoY
- 2025 Year-Total: 1,394,411 MT = +15% YoY
- Jan 2026: 125,215 MT = +23% YoY
- Feb: 115,648 MT = +4% YoY
- Mar: 126,858 MT = +12% YoY
- Apr: 135,504 MT = +18% YoY
- May: 165,538 MT = +9% YoY
- 2026 YTD: 668,763 MT = +13% YoY
- Value
- Jun: $659 million = +26% YoY
- Jul: $568 million = +18% YoY
- Aug: $581 million = +13% YoY
- Sep: $571 million = +22% YoY
- Oct: $650 million = +48% YoY
- Nov: $680 million = +7% YoY
- Dec: $630 million = +22% YoY
- 2025 Year-Total: $7,475 million = +23% YoY
- Jan 2026: $663 million = +22% YoY
- Feb: $619 million = +5% YoY
- Mar: $684 million = +12% YoY
- Apr: $712 million = +17% YoY
- May: $847 million = +8% YoY
- 2026 YTD: $3,524 million = +12% YoY
Top Markets
- China
- Jun: 65,855 MT = +6% YoY
- Jul: 54,294 MT = +9% YoY
- Aug: 48,412 MT = -15% YoY
- Sep: 44,486 MT = -13% YoY
- Oct: 50,722 MT = +12% YoY
- Nov: 67,637 MT = -4% YoY
- Dec: 65,709 MT = +32% YoY
- 2025 Year-Total: 689,536 MT = +5% YoY
- Jan 2026: 69,879 MT = +20% YoY
- Feb: 57,341 MT = +10% YoY
- Mar: 60,822 MT = +29% YoY
- Apr: 71,161 MT = +34% YoY
- May: 83,466 MT = +1% YoY
- 2026 YTD: 342,669 MT = +17% YoY
- USA
- Jun: 21,388 MT = +44% YoY
- Jul: 17,031 MT = +14% YoY
- Aug: 21,004 MT = +22% YoY
- Sep: 24,358 MT = +71% YoY
- Oct: 27,423 MT = +105% YoY
- Nov: 24,436 MT = +28% YoY
- Dec: 22,007 MT = +28% YoY
- 2025 Year-Total: 270,660 MT = +26% YoY
- Jan 2026: 25,530 MT = +35% YoY
- Feb: 28,562 MT = +38% YoY
- Mar: 29,222 MT = +16% YoY
- Apr: 29,667 MT = +38% YoY
- May: 32,715 MT = +23% YoY
- 2026 YTD: 145,696 MT = +29% YoY
- EU
- Jun: 23,061 MT = +32% YoY
- Jul: 22,732 MT = +13% YoY
- Aug: 23,281 MT = +30% YoY
- Sep: 22,280 MT = +29% YoY
- Oct: 24,412 MT = +41% YoY
- Nov: 17,388 MT = +5% YoY
- Dec: 15,759 MT = -7% YoY
- 2025 Year-Total: 260,484 MT = +28% YoY
- Jan 2026: 15,006 MT = -0% YoY
- Feb: 16,540 MT = -26% YoY
- Mar: 20,176 MT = -15% YoY
- Apr: 18,353 MT = -25% YoY
- May: 28,512 MT = +9% YoY
- 2026 YTD: 98,586 MT = -12% YoY
- Russia
- Jun: 3,958 MT = +153% YoY
- Jul: 1,763 MT = -40% YoY
- Aug: 1,698 MT = -47% YoY
- Sep: 1,624 MT = -50% YoY
- Oct: 1,750 MT = -28% YoY
- Nov: 1,149 MT = -46% YoY
- Dec: 1,676 MT = -40% YoY
- 2025 Year-Total: 23,669 MT = -19% YoY
- Jan 2026: 2,782 MT = +151% YoY
- Feb: 1,392 MT = -13% YoY
- Mar: 1,930 MT = -13% YoY
- Apr: 2,580 MT = -17% YoY
- May: 2,851 MT = +41% YoY
- 2026 YTD: 11,536 MT = +15% YoY
- Guatemala
- Jun: 1,335 MT = +5% YoY
- Jul: 1,813 MT = +227% YoY
- Aug: 2,069 MT = +205% YoY
- Sep: 1,904 MT = +124% YoY
- Oct: 1,500 MT = +174% YoY
- Nov: 1,347 MT = +52% YoY
- Dec: 954 MT = +81% YoY
- 2025 Year-Total: 16,686 MT = +85% YoY
- Jan 2026: 1,242 MT = +126% YoY
- Feb: 2,030 MT = +97% YoY
- Mar: 1,895 MT = +13% YoY
- Apr: 1,180 MT = -13% YoY
- May: 1,660 MT = +45% YoY
- 2026 YTD: 8,006 MT = +39% YoY
- Viet Nam
- Jun: 975 MT = +149% YoY
- Jul: 778 MT = +272% YoY
- Aug: 807 MT = +261% YoY
- Sep: 543 MT = -30% YoY
- Oct: 874 MT = +138% YoY
- Nov: 1,046 MT = +28% YoY
- Dec: 1,424 MT = +52% YoY
- 2025 Year-Total: 13,802 MT = +96% YoY
- Jan 2026: 1,737 MT = +3% YoY
- Feb: 1,300 MT = +6% YoY
- Mar: 1,604 MT = -23% YoY
- Apr: 1,736 MT = +56% YoY
- May: 1,458 MT = +16% YoY
- 2026 YTD: 7,835 MT = +7% YoY
