US importers are buying and paying less for shrimp from India, the top exporter to the United States.

Overall, US shrimp imports through August reached 426,345 metric tons worth $3.9 billion (€3.4 billion), a 4 percent increase in volume, but 2.7 percent decrease in value from this time last year, according to statistics released by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).

Imports of shell-on, frozen, warmwater shrimp, all sizes combined, reached 139,326 metric tons worth $1.2 billion (€1 billion), a 1.3 percent and 12 percent drop in volume and value, respectively, through August, year-on-year.

The United States imported 27,819 metric tons of 21/25 size shrimp worth $244.1 million (€211.9 million), a 1.7 percent gain in volume but a 10.5 percent decrease in value year-on-year. The 21/25 represents the largest percentage of US shrimp imports.

This size shrimp mostly came from India: 16,202 metric tons worth $131.7 million (€114.3 million), a nearly 1 percent decrease in volume an a 16.3 percent drop in value.

India, Ecuador losing out on value in US shrimp market

The second most imported size, 31/40s, also saw declines, dropping 7.5 percent and 18.4 percent in volume and value, respectively, to reach 25,915 metric tons worth $193.2 million (€167.7 million) through August, according to the data.

Most 31/40 shell-on, frozen, warmwater shrimp imports came from Ecuador: 9,316 metric tons worth $65.4 million (€56.8 million), a 4.2 percent increase in volume but 10 percent decrease in value.

The United States imported 30,298 metric tons of breaded frozen shrimp worth $209.3 million (€181.7 million), a less than 1 percent increase in volume and 4 percent decrease in value.