Peruvian shrimp exporters are aiming to start shipping frozen products to Brazil, the country’s official Andean News Agency reports.

Representatives from Peru’s export promotional agency, Promperu, recently visited food health and safety inspection officials in Brazil.

This comes after Ecuadorian producers began exporting to Brazil earlier this year after 20 years of an effective import blockade on health grounds.

Besides shrimp from the Piuru coastal region of Peru, exports are expected to come from Tumbes, the country’s main shrimp producing hub, which is also in the northwest.

Tumbes accounts for 93 percent of Peru’s national production and nearly 60 percent of exports, which in 2018 exceeded $220 million (€198 million).

The main markets for frozen shrimp tails are the United States, Spain and Canada, while whole shrimp is shipped to Vietnam, Canada, Spain, South Korea and France.

Foreign shrimp was effectively shut out of the Brazilian market after a 1999 disease outbreak decimated the industry.

In May, the first consignment of frozen imported shrimp was allowed into Brazil following a Supreme Court ruling over the Christmas period that opened the way for Ecuadorian producers to begin shipping shrimp to Brazil after a long running legal saga.

Ecuador threatened to go to the World Trade Organization (WTO) to resolve its dispute over shrimp exports to Brazil.

Moves to allow Peruvian imports may once again meet with strong opposition from Brazilian producers but win support from Brazil’s largest shrimp fast food Vivenda do Camarao and the Brazilian Association of Bars of restaurants, which previously backed Ecuadorian producers.

More recently Argentina's red shrimp exporters said they also expect to begin shipments to Brazil.