Fisheries minister calls US tariff rise on shrimp an opportunity for India’s home market

Mumbai: Maharashtra Fisheries Minister Nitesh Rane on Monday said the recent increase in tariff on shrimp exported to the United States from India should be seen as an opportunity to expand the country’s domestic market for prawns and other seafood items.

Advising stakeholders not to worry too much about the US tariffs, Rane noted Europe and Vietnam are good export markets for Indian shrimp, but added the domestic seafood market is big enough to support farmers and fishermen.

Last week, the US further raised reciprocal tariffs from 25 per cent to up to 50 per cent on Indian goods. According to the Seafood Export Association of India (SEAI), USD 2 billion worth of shrimp exports to the US face severe disruptions due to higher tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.

India exported USD 2.8 billion worth of shrimps to America in 2024 and has shipped USD 500 million worth so far this year. The new duties make Indian seafood significantly less competitive compared to China, Vietnam and Thailand, which face US tariffs of only 20-30 per cent, said SEAI secretary general K N Raghavan.

Maharashtra minister Rane opined the the higher US tariff on shrimp provides an opportunity to boost Indian market.

“Earlier, there was a 16 per cent tariff on shrimp, but it was raised to 60 per cent during the Trump administration. I have appealed to prawn consumers to expand and spread our domestic market. If everyone thinks of increasing prawn consumption, it will greatly benefit the domestic market and support the Prime Minister’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat policy,” he told reporters in Mumbai.

Calling the new scenario a “golden opportunity” for prawn producers, Rane maintained India’s seafood market is strong enough to support farmers and fishermen.

“People should not worry too much about the tariffs. It would be better to promote prawns and other seafood items. Europe and Vietnam are good export markets for us, but why do we focus only on exports? My priority is my state and my country. If we export so much of our production, who will cater to the domestic market?” he asked.

Rane said a recent report suggested India’s fishery production had reduced, but Maharashtra’s output had increased due to favourable policies implemented under Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

On the future of Mumbai’s Sassoon Dock, one of the city’s oldest fish landing sites, the BJP minister declared it would “never be closed”.

Rane said he had spoken to Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal to find a solution to the court’s order related to the dock and sought 30 days to work on it.

“No fisherman will face eviction,” the state minister assured.

In 2023, the Bombay High Court had stressed the need to modernise docks in Mumbai to address the concern of pollution caused by solid waste accumulation at these spots due to fishing activities.

During the monsoon session of the state legislature, the Shiv Sena (UBT) had raised concerns over the eviction threat faced by the Koli community at Sassoon Dock amid a prolonged dispute between Maharashtra Fisheries Development Corporation (MFDC) and Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT).

The dispute, which is over a decade old, began after MbPT issued eviction notices alleging MFDC had failed to pay lease rent. MFDC had leased the land in question from MbPT and sublet it to local fishermen and fish traders.