The Trump administration’s newly announced trade agreements with Indonesia and Vietnam include tariffs on exports to the United States, including shrimp from the Southeast Asian nations, of 19 percent and 20 percent respectively, according to the Southern Shrimp Alliance.

The advocacy group for U.S. shrimp fishermen has long pressed for stronger federal action against foreign shrimp imports.  The administration’s opening moves in April for tariffs of 32 percent on Indonesian goods and 46 percent on Vietnamese products “pressured both countries to combat unethical practices and open their markets to maintain competitive access to the U.S. market,” the group said July 24. “Negotiations with the two other major foreign suppliers of shrimp to this market, Ecuador and India, are ongoing and critical to the U.S. shrimp industry.” 

“Counter-productive trade policies have outsourced our shrimp supply chain to countries engaging in forced labor, using banned antibiotics, and destroying the environment,” said John Williams, executive director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance. “We welcome President Trump’s agreements with Indonesia and Vietnam, which include commitments to reform, while imposing tariffs that offset unfair trade while suppliers right the ship.”

The agreement announced July 22 includes commitments from Indonesia to adopt laws prohibiting the importation of goods produced through forced or compulsory labor, improve enforcement of its own labor laws, and combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, as outlined in Tuesday’s Joint Statement between the United States and Indonesia. 

U.S. shrimp advocates have their eye on the next targets, namely India and Ecuador that flood the U.S. market with aquacultured shrimp. The Southern Shrimp Alliance cites a U.S. International Trade Commission analysis that concluded “foreign shrimp comprises a staggering 93% of all shrimp consumed in America, with four countries dominating imports in 2024”:

• India: 656.4 million pounds (38.4% of total shrimp imports)
• Ecuador: 433.8 million pounds (25.4%)
• Indonesia: 297.1 million pounds (17.4%)
• Vietnam: 152.1 million pounds (8.9%)

Shrimp imports have surged 11.4% over the first five months of 2025 – an additional 75 million pounds compared to the same period in 2024. Ecuador and India alone account for 52.8 million pounds or 70% of this increase.

“These large surges occurred after significant additional duties were announced and paused to allow for negotiations,” according to the U.S. shrimp alliance. “Suppliers from Ecuador and India exploited the lower 10% tariff to flood the U.S. market ahead of expected trade actions. The continuing surge threatens commercial shrimpers with a third consecutive lost season.”

“The American shrimp industry, as well as the shrimp industries in Indonesia and Vietnam that have committed to reforms, should not be punished by the continued market manipulation by the Ecuadorian and Indian shrimp industries,” said Williams. “These foreign suppliers have exploited President Trump’s period for negotiations to slam this market and will not stop until substantial duties are imposed.”