”There is a lot of relief now as we are at par with other exporters to the US. Now the shipments that were held back will be processed,” Seafood Exporters Association of India Secretary General K N Raghavan told PTI.
About 2,000 containers of shrimp that had been delayed are now being readied for export following Trump’s April 9 decision to pause the higher tariffs just one week after announcing them on April 2, he said.
The temporary reprieve maintains a 10% blanket tariff on all countries except China, which faces a 145% duty.
Currently, Indian shrimp exports to the US face an effective customs duty of 17.7%, including 5.7% in countervailing duties and 1.8% in anti-dumping duty.
Industry sources explained that Indian exporters typically bear tariff costs under delivery duty-paid arrangements, meaning previously contracted shipments would have faced significant additional expenses under the higher tariff.
”The 90-day pause provides exporters the opportunity to fulfil these orders without the extra cost,” an industry representative said.
The association reported no drop in orders from the United States, which remains India’s largest shrimp market both in volume and value. India exported shrimp worth USD 2.7 billion to the US in the 2023-24 fiscal year.
Raghavan urged the government to focus on securing a ”level-playing field” for the country’s seafood exports during upcoming trade talks before the tariff pause expires.
