After the coronavirus was discovered on imported shrimp package, China’s vannamei imports from February to August fell 49% to only 29,000 tons. The average unit price of imports fell to US$ 5.28 per kilogram.
Compared with June, imports fell by 61%, which is about 46,000 tons. Compared with August 2019, imports fell 54%. Although China only found the COVID-19 virus on the package of imported Ecuadorian shrimp, the volume of shrimp imported from almost all sources has dropped sharply.
China’s imports from Ecuador fell dramatically, down 55% year-on-year to 16,500 tons. However, imports from India fell even more strongly, down 67% year-on-year to 5,400 tons, which may be related to the conflict between India and the Chinese border.
At the same time, China’s imports from Vietnam and Thailand fell 55% and 53% year-on-year to 1,600 tons and 900 tons, respectively. In August, only Venezuela’s shrimp imports increased, reaching 1,700 tons, achieving a monthly import volume record.
