Ecuador's medium and large-sized white shrimp prices continue to rise. In the Guayaquil region, the 20/30 size increased by $0.05 per kilogram, while the 30/40 and 40/50 sizes increased by $0.10 per kilogram; in contrast, the small sizes (70/80 and 80/100) decreased by $0.10 per kilogram. Exporters revealed that strong restocking demand from the Chinese market after the National Day Golden Week supported the overall price. Ecuadorian businesses are accelerating investments in value-added product lines, but the cancellation of diesel subsidies has led to rising costs, squeezing processing profits.
Indonesia's white shrimp market is in trouble. Affected by the new U.S. FDA regulations, starting from October 31, all white shrimp exports from Java and Sumatra to the U.S. must obtain a "no radioactive contamination" certification. Following this news, shrimp prices in East Java dropped by 7% to 14% this week. The Indonesian government is urgently communicating with the FDA to change the deadline to "departure time" instead of "arrival time," and to have the National Testing Agency (MFQAA) responsible for testing and certification. However, the testing capacity is severely insufficient, making it difficult to complete the certification for approximately 1,000 containers per month in the short term, causing the supply chain to come to a standstill.
In India, the second-quarter shrimp harvest is at its peak, but prices generally declined due to high U.S. tariffs and weak demand. In Andhra Pradesh, the 50-80 size dropped by 10 rupees per kilogram (about $0.11), with the average price being about 6%-7% lower than the same period last year. Large-sized shrimp in the U.S. market continue to be overtaken by Ecuador.
Vietnam's white shrimp prices continue to strengthen, with strong demand for the 30-40 and 70-80 sizes. To ensure raw materials, factories have increased their purchase prices, leading to significant premiums for large sizes. Meanwhile, Thai shrimp prices have slightly declined, with the 60-count size dropping by 5 baht per kilogram (about $0.15), and the 70-count size dropping by 2.5 baht per kilogram, further narrowing the price gap between medium and large sizes.
Overall, the global shrimp market is entering a phase of increased volatility: Indonesia's prices have plummeted due to export blockages, Ecuador's prices continue to rise driven by Chinese demand, India and Thailand remain stable with slight weakness, and Vietnam remains high. As year-end holiday demand approaches, price trends are likely to further diverge.