EU shrimp imports fell to 29,728 MT in May 2026, down 27% year-on-year. Import value declined at the same rate to €181 million.
The comparison, however, comes against an exceptionally strong base. May 2025 was an all-time monthly record and marked the beginning of the surge that drove EU imports to exceptionally high levels throughout the remainder of the year. Compared with May volumes in 2024 and earlier years, the 2026 result represents a much more moderate decline, although imports remained slightly below those previous levels.
During the first five months of 2026, EU imports reached 152,147 MT, down 8% year-on-year. Import value fell more strongly, declining 13% to €942 million.
The next few months will show whether May represents the start of a more substantial market contraction or whether the year-on-year declines will narrow as comparisons move further into 2025’s exceptional import boom.
Products
Imports of raw frozen Penaeus shrimp fell 28% year-on-year in May to 25,724 MT. This brought January–May imports to 129,263 MT, down 10% compared with the same period last year.
Value-added shrimp imports also declined sharply in May, falling 19% to 4,004 MT. Nevertheless, strong growth during the first four months kept cumulative imports at 22,883 MT, up 5% year-on-year.
The contrast between the two categories remains clear: raw frozen shrimp imports contracted during the first five months of 2026, while value-added imports remained above last year’s level despite the May decline.
Markets
The decline in May was visible across both Southern and Northwestern Europe.
Southern EU imports fell 30% year-on-year to 18,163 MT. Cumulative imports reached 84,978 MT, down 16%, making Southern Europe the main contributor to the overall decline in EU imports during the first five months of the year.
Northwestern EU imports declined 26% in May to 10,226 MT. However, growth during the first four months kept January–May imports slightly above last year at 60,484 MT, up 1%.
Eastern EU markets continued to move in the opposite direction. Imports increased 38% in May to 1,339 MT and reached 6,685 MT during the first five months, up 47% year-on-year.
Suppliers
Ecuador remained by far the EU’s largest shrimp supplier, despite imports falling 30% year-on-year in May to 16,937 MT. January–May imports from Ecuador reached 76,149 MT, down 14%.
India recorded a 24% decline in May to 3,639 MT. Nevertheless, strong growth earlier in the year kept cumulative imports at 26,565 MT, up 24%, making India the strongest-performing major supplier during the first five months.
Imports from Viet Nam fell 26% in May to 3,583 MT. January–May imports remained 6% higher year-on-year at 21,432 MT.
Venezuela performed more steadily in May, with imports declining only 5% to 1,903 MT. However, cumulative imports remained 37% below last year at 6,534 MT.
Bangladesh experienced the sharpest decline among the five largest suppliers. May imports halved to 411 MT, while January–May imports fell 18% to 3,283 MT.
Byte in Numbers
Total Raw Frozen Penaeus (HS 03061792) and Value-Added (HS 160521, 160529) from Asia, Latin America, and Africa
- Volume:
- Jun: 40,616 MT = +28% YoY
- Jul: 44,245 MT = +25% YoY
- Aug: 40,051 MT = +7% YoY
- Sep: 41,878 MT = +9% YoY
- Oct: 42,584 MT = +20% YoY
- Nov: 43,179 MT = +34% YoY
- Dec: 37,460 MT = +31% YoY
- 2025 Year-Total: 455,776 MT = +21% YoY
- Jan: 32,288 MT = +5% YoY
- Feb: 25,928 MT = -4% YoY
- Mar: 33,689 MT = -4% YoY
- Apr: 30,513 MT = -5% YoY
- May: 29,728 MT = -27% YoY
- 2026 YTD: 152,147 MT = -8% YoY
- Value:
- Jun: €245 million = +30% YoY
- Jul: €271 million = +20% YoY
- Aug: €248 million = +8% YoY
- Sep: €257 million = +9% YoY
- Oct: €254 million = +14% YoY
- Nov: €271 million = +31% YoY
- Dec: €242 million = +23% YoY
- 2025 Year-Total: €2,869 million = +22% YoY
- Jan: €209 million = -2% YoY
- Feb: €161 million = -13% YoY
- Mar: €204 million = -12% YoY
- Apr: €186 million = -8% YoY
- May: €181 million = -27% YoY
- 2026 YTD: €942 million = -13% YoY
Import Regions of Raw Frozen Penaeus and Value-Added from Asia, Latin America, and Africa
- Southern EU:
- Jun: 27,244 MT = +32% YoY
- Jul: 25,916 MT = +25% YoY
- Aug: 23,403 MT = +2% YoY
- Sep: 24,738 MT = +12% YoY
- Oct: 25,800 MT = +27% YoY
- Nov: 23,280 MT = +16% YoY
- Dec: 20,135 MT = +24% YoY
- 2025 Year-Total: 271,608 MT = +19% YoY
- Jan: 15,340 MT = -4% YoY
- Feb: 13,932 MT = -14% YoY
- Mar: 19,462 MT = -13% YoY
- Apr: 18,082 MT = -12% YoY
- May: 18,163 MT = -30% YoY
- 2026 YTD: 84,978 MT = -16% YoY
- Northwestern EU:
- Feb: 9,986 MT = -1% YoY
- Jun: 12,352 MT = +20% YoY
- Jul: 16,653 MT = +22% YoY
- Aug: 15,378 MT = +17% YoY
- Sep: 15,205 MT = +1% YoY
- Oct: 15,305 MT = +11% YoY
- Nov: 18,092 MT = +61% YoY
- Dec: 15,450 MT = +35% YoY
- 2025 Year-Total: 168,552 MT = +22% YoY
- Jan: 15,629 MT = +13% YoY
- Feb: 10,751 MT = +8% YoY
- Mar: 12,639 MT = +5% YoY
- Apr: 11,239 MT = +8% YoY
- May: 10,226 MT = -26% YoY
- 2026 YTD: 60,484 MT = +1% YoY
- Eastern EU:
- Jun: 1,021 MT = +41% YoY
- Jul: 1,676 MT = +66% YoY
- Aug: 1,270 MT = 0% YoY
- Sep: 1,935 MT = +61% YoY
- Oct: 1,479 MT = +23% YoY
- Nov: 1,807 MT = +122% YoY
- Dec: 1,875 MT = +93% YoY
- 2025 Year-Total: 15,616 MT = +26% YoY
- Jan: 1,319 MT = +38% YoY
- Feb: 1,246 MT = +60% YoY
- Mar: 1,588 MT = +128% YoY
- Apr: 1,193 MT = +4% YoY
- May: 1,339 MT = +38% YoY
- 2026 YTD: 6,685 MT = +47% YoY
Products
- Raw Frozen Penaeus Shrimp (HS 03061792):
- Jun: 36,203 MT = +31% YoY
- Jul: 38,687 MT = +27% YoY
- Aug: 35,187 MT = +7% YoY
- Sep: 36,732 MT = +9% YoY
- Oct: 37,322 MT = +21% YoY
- Nov: 38,101 MT = +37% YoY
- Dec: 32,457 MT = +34% YoY
- 2025 Year-Total: 398,750 MT = +21% YoY
- Jan: 27,273 MT = +4% YoY
- Feb: 21,630 MT = -7% YoY
- Mar: 28,865 MT = -7% YoY
- Apr: 25,771 MT = -7% YoY
- May: 25,724 MT = -28% YoY
- 2026 YTD: 129,263 MT = -10% YoY
- Value-Added (HS 160521, HS 160529):
- Jun: 4,413 MT = +8% YoY
- Jul: 5,558 MT = +13% YoY
- Aug: 4,863 MT = +10% YoY
- Sep: 5,146 MT = +15% YoY
- Oct: 5,262 MT = +13% YoY
- Nov: 5,078 MT = +14% YoY
- Dec: 5,002 MT = +12% YoY
- 2025 Year-Total: 57,026 MT = +17% YoY
- Jan: 5,015 MT = +7% YoY
- Feb: 4,298 MT = +15% YoY
- Mar: 4,824 MT = +20% YoY
- Apr: 4,742 MT = +10% YoY
- May: 4,004 MT = -19% YoY
- 2026 YTD: 22,883 MT = +5% YoY
Top Five Suppliers
- Ecuador:
- Jun: 26,174 MT = +62% YoY
- Jul: 24,498 MT = +54% YoY
- Aug: 21,083 MT = +8% YoY
- Sep: 21,240 MT = +33% YoY
- Oct: 21,997 MT = +44% YoY
- Nov: 20,770 MT = +36% YoY
- Dec: 17,230 MT = +21% YoY
- 2025 Year-Total: 241,947 MT = +35% YoY
- Jan: 13,251 MT = +4% YoY
- Feb: 12,396 MT = -9% YoY
- Mar: 16,718 MT = -14% YoY
- Apr: 16,848 MT = -11% YoY
- May: 16,937 MT = -30% YoY
- 2026 YTD: 76,149 MT = -14% YoY
- India:
- Jun: 4,251 MT = +19% YoY
- Jul: 5,519 MT = +23% YoY
- Aug: 5,818 MT = +44% YoY
- Sep: 7,083 MT = +33% YoY
- Oct: 7,372 MT = +67% YoY
- Nov: 7,785 MT = +91% YoY
- Dec: 7,543 MT = +113% YoY
- 2025 Year-Total: 66,843 MT = +44% YoY
- Jan: 6,496 MT = +34% YoY
- Feb: 4,758 MT = +16% YoY
- Mar: 6,578 MT = +63% YoY
- Apr: 5,094 MT = +38% YoY
- May: 3,639 MT = -24% YoY
- 2026 YTD: 26,565 MT = +24% YoY
- Viet Nam:
- Jun: 4,600 MT = +15% YoY
- Jul: 5,652 MT = +3% YoY
- Aug: 5,282 MT = -1% YoY
- Sep: 5,375 MT = -1% YoY
- Oct: 5,046 MT = +0% YoY
- Nov: 5,946 MT = +34% YoY
- Dec: 5,667 MT = +16% YoY
- 2025 Year-Total: 57,758 MT = +14% YoY
- Jan: 5,400 MT = +20% YoY
- Feb: 4,286 MT = +25% YoY
- Mar: 4,466 MT = +24% YoY
- Apr: 3,698 MT = -4% YoY
- May: 3,583 MT = -26% YoY
- 2026 YTD: 21,432 MT = +6% YoY
- Venezuela:
- Jun: 935 MT = -75% YoY
- Jul: 2,211 MT = -43% YoY
- Aug: 1,595 MT = -44% YoY
- Sep: 1,524 MT = -73% YoY
- Oct: 1,479 MT = -54% YoY
- Nov: 2,514 MT = +24% YoY
- Dec: 1,007 MT = +632% YoY
- 2025 Year-Total: 21,589 MT = -44% YoY
- Jan: 2,094 MT = -26% YoY
- Feb: 541 MT = -56% YoY
- Mar: 975 MT = -65% YoY
- Apr: 1,021 MT = -31% YoY
- May: 1,903 MT = -5% YoY
- 2026 YTD: 6,534 MT = -37% YoY
- Bangladesh:
- Jun: 653 MT = +46% YoY
- Jul: 1,706 MT = +72% YoY
- Aug: 1,786 MT = +31% YoY
- Sep: 1,865 MT = +28% YoY
- Oct: 1,874 MT = -13% YoY
- Nov: 1,699 MT = +4% YoY
- Dec: 1,652 MT = +1% YoY
- 2025 Year-Total: 15,813 MT = +15% YoY
- Jan: 1,086 MT = -26% YoY
- Feb: 651 MT = -32% YoY
- Mar: 678 MT = -28% YoY
- Apr: 610 MT = -19% YoY
- May: 411 MT = -50% YoY
- 2026 YTD: 3,283 MT = -18% YoY
