Totals
Ecuador exported 125,215 MT of shrimp in January 2026, representing a 23% increase year-on-year and marking one of the strongest openings to the year on record. Export value reached $663 million, up 22% YoY, broadly in line with the volume increase and indicating relatively stable average export prices compared with early 2025. The strong January result follows a record 2025 export volume of 1.39 million MT (+15% YoY) and confirms that Ecuadorian exporters continue to expand shipments across multiple markets despite ongoing volatility in global shrimp demand.
Markets
China remained by far the largest destination, importing 69,879 MT (+20% YoY) in January. After some volatility in the second half of 2025, shipments to China rebounded strongly at the start of the year, again accounting for more than half of Ecuador’s total exports. January shipments will still, to some extent, have catered to the Chinese New Year, which started on 17th February this year.
Exports to the United States continued their rapid expansion, reaching 25,530 MT (+35% YoY). Ecuador’s shipments to the US have grown steadily over the past year as importers increasingly turn to Ecuadorian suppliers due to the tariff situation. With India’s tariffs now back to competitive levels, we will have to wait and see what that means for Ecuador’s shipments to the US over the next few months. A more moderate growth is to be expected.
Shipments to the European Union totaled 15,006 MT, remaining stable year-on-year following strong growth throughout most of 2025. The EU remains Ecuador’s third-largest market, but growth could be moderating after last year’s surge. Among smaller markets, exports to Russia rebounded to 2,782 MT (+151% YoY), although volumes remain well below earlier levels. Vietnam continued to import modest volumes for processing and re-export (1,737 MT, +3% YoY), while shipments to Japan grew strongly to 1,282 MT (+39% YoY).
Overall, the January data confirms that Ecuador continues to expand exports across its key markets, with particularly strong growth in China and the United States, while shipments to the EU stabilize following the rapid expansion seen in 2025.
Byte in Numbers
Total Export
- Volume
- Feb: 111,027 MT = +21% YoY
- Mar: 113,240 MT = +23% YoY
- Apr: 115,145 MT = +3% YoY
- May: 151,521 MT = +21% YoY
- 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
- Value
- Feb: $589 million = +30% YoY
- Mar: $610 million = +33% YoY
- Apr: $606 million = +12% YoY
- May: $785 million = +30% YoY
- 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
Top Markets
- China
- Feb: 51,927 MT = +11% YoY
- Mar: 46,986 MT = +14% YoY
- Apr: 53,013 MT = -15% YoY
- May: 82,305 MT = +18% YoY
- 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
- USA
- Feb: 20,717 MT = +5% YoY
- Mar: 25,280 MT = -1% YoY
- Apr: 21,461 MT = +17% YoY
- May: 26,587 MT = +12% YoY
- 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
- EU
- Feb: 22,224 MT = +56% YoY
- Mar: 23,722 MT = +56% YoY
- Apr: 24,352 MT = +36% YoY
- May: 26,214 MT = +37% YoY
- 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
- Russia
- Feb: 1,595 MT = -35% YoY
- Mar: 2,206 MT = +6% YoY
- Apr: 3,120 MT = +16% YoY
- May: 2,020 MT = +3% YoY
- 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
- Vietnam
- Feb: 1,222 MT = +44% YoY
- Mar: 2,085 MT = +397% YoY
- Apr: 1,114 MT = +46% YoY
- May: 1,252 MT = +110% YoY
- 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
- Japan
- Feb: 1,949 MT = +113% YoY
- Mar: 1,629 MT = +107% YoY
- Apr: 1,351 MT = +1% YoY
- May: 2,179 MT = +54% YoY
- Jun: 1,652 MT = +48% YoY
- Jul: 1,605 MT = +15% YoY
- Aug: 1,603 MT = 0% YoY
- Sep: 1,600 MT = +36% YoY
- Oct: 1,743 MT = +83% YoY
- Nov: 1,380 MT = -19% YoY
- Dec: 1,354 MT = +48% YoY
- 2025 Year-Total: 18,970 MT = +36% YoY
- Jan 2026: 1,282 MT = +39% YoY
