Main points
- Ecuador increased shrimp exports by 20% in 2025, reaching a record revenue of US$8.4 billion, exceeding oil revenues.
- The growth in exports is partly due to US trade policy, and China remains the main sales market, purchasing 48% of Ecuadorian shrimp.
Shrimp bypassed oil / Photo Unsplash
Ecuador set a record for shrimp exports in 2025, increasing revenue by 20% to $8.4 billion. This made seafood the country's top export for the first time, surpassing oil.
Shrimp revenues exceed oil revenues
Ecuador significantly increased shrimp exports in 2025, with sales revenue increasing by 20% to $8.4 billion, a record for the industry, said José Antonio Camposano, president of the Ecuadorian Chamber of Aquaculture, Reuters reports.
According to official figures, shrimp export revenues have made it the country's main export, overtaking oil, which has long been a key source of foreign exchange earnings and brought Ecuador $7.18 billion in 2024.
Camposano said the export growth is partly due to changes in U.S. trade policy and steady investment in aquaculture in recent years. In particular, the Trump administration increased tariffs on India, the largest supplier of shrimp to the United States. As a result, American importers began to purchase more products from Ecuador, which had lower tariffs.
The impact of oil and shrimp exports was not on the US
At the same time, Camposano noted that this factor had a limited impact, as it mainly concerned the United States market. According to him, further export dynamics will be determined by the new terms of trade between the United States and India.
He also stressed that China remains the main market for Ecuadorian shrimp, purchasing about 48% of all production. In addition, the industry is trying to maintain its position in the markets of the United States of America and the European Union, and is also actively expanding supplies to Japan.
According to Camposano, producers aim to maintain current export volumes and, under favorable conditions, increase them by about 5% in 2026.
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