The US Department of State suspended Mexico from importing wild-caught shrimp into the United States, citing the country's "sea turtle protection program is no longer comparable to that of the United States."
In the absence of a certification from the agency, the agency stated Apr. 26 that “only shrimp harvested from aquaculture is eligible to enter the United States.”
Mexico’s Agriculture Ministry said in a statement that United States authorities conducted verification visits to fishing ports in several Mexican states between 2019 and 2021 and detected “deficiencies” in the use of turtle excluder devices (TEDs) on 106 shrimp nets, reported Mexico Daily News.
If the suspension were to remain in effect for a year, Mexico — the world’s seventh-largest shrimp producer — could lose export revenue of about $300 million (€249 million), the news site said.
Total shrimp exports to the United States in 2019 were 30,000 metric tons, according to Mexico's Agricultural Ministry.
