Shrimp industry in troubled waters after tariff

Turbulence unleashed by President Donald Trump's tariffs could rock global shipments of shrimp to the United States, with exporters in biggest supplier India saying they endanger 2,000 containers packed with the frozen delicacy.

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But Ecuador, thousands of kilometres nearer to the United States faces a lower tariff rate and stands to benefit, the exporters say, as shrimp is its most important export after oil. India's shrimp industry is staring at a tariff of 26% under Trump's July plan, which threatens a thriving $7-billion seafood export market heavily reliant on US supermarket chains such as Walmart and Kroger as buyers look to renegotiate rates. Farmers are seeing demand dry up amid the uncertainty as exporters have cut offer prices by a tenth since the tariffs.

"We are suffering huge losses," said S.V.L.

Pathi Raju, 63, standing by the aquaculture pond where he feeds and grows shrimp in India's southern coastal state of Andhra Pradesh. "We don't know who can resolve our price issues," added Raju, one of several families in the state's remote village of Ganapavaram grappling with dwindling sales to exporters.