General Tariffs Can Change, India Shrimp Tariff Act Offers Long-Term Solution
September 24, 2025 | 5 min to read
U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy and Cindy Hyde-Smith have reintroduced the India Shrimp Tariff Act to shield Louisiana's shrimp, catfish, and crawfish industries from India's cheap seafood. This legislation would impose escalating duties on Indian shrimp, starting at 10% in 2026, along with a tax to enhance inspections and mandatory country-of-origin labeling. The act aims to address unfair trade practices and protect U.S. fishermen from destabilizing market forces caused by low-priced Indian imports.
U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) reintroduced the India Shrimp Tariff Act to protect Louisiana’s shrimp, catfish, and crawfish industries against India’s dumping of cheap seafood and produce into U.S. markets. The bill would:
- Add a 10% duty on Indian shrimp starting January 2026
- Increase the duty to 20% in 2027, then 40% in 2028
- Add an extra 10 cents per kilogram tax on all imported shrimp to pay for better inspections of imported shrimp and catfish
- Require retail stores to disclose country-of-origin labeling (COOL) on cooked shrimp and crawfish
The additional duties imposed would be assessed “in addition to any duty imposed under any other provision of law . . .”
“The India Shrimp Tariff Act offers a durable solution to the double standards that disadvantage well-regulated U.S. shrimpers,” said John Williams, executive director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance. “There’s a tremendous cost to litigate trade remedy laws, and Indian shrimp continues to flood into our market. American shrimp fishermen need lasting solutions that prevent the U.S. from being the world’s dumping ground for unethically-produced shrimp.”
BACKGROUND
Record Import Surge
The reintroduction of the India Shrimp Tariff Act follows a record volume of Indian frozen warmwater shrimp imports into the United States. Indian shrimp imports declined for three years straight after peaking at 750.9 million pounds in 2021. However, by July 2025, they had surged back to a record 420.3 million pounds – a 22.5% increase over the previous year. This happened even though Indian shrimp is already subject to both additional antidumping and countervailing duties, which inadequately offset unfair trade.
Detrimental Price Impact
India is the largest supplier of shrimp to the U.S. market, accounting for 42.7% of the total volume and 40.7% of the total value of all frozen warmwater shrimp imported into the United States in 2025. The flood of Indian shrimp has driven down prices across the entire market. Indian shrimp now costs $3.61 per pound compared to $3.92 for all other sources. Until 2014, Indian shrimp actually cost more than competitors. However, over the last four years, Indian prices have remained significantly lower than those of all other countries, preventing other foreign suppliers from recovering and squeezing American shrimp fishermen out of the market.
Uncertain Market Outlook
President Trump imposed substantial tariffs on Indian-origin goods in August, which should reduce imports of Indian shrimp in the final months of 2025. However, if these tariffs are reduced or eliminated, the U.S. market will once again be overwhelmed by cheap, unfairly traded Indian shrimp. The India Shrimp Tariff Act offers a long-term solution that would prevent future market-disrupting spikes in Indian shrimp exports to this country.
Unfair Trade Practices
India imposes a 30% customs duty on shrimp imports coming into their country, plus an additional 10% social welfare surcharge, while the United States charges no basic tax on imported shrimp. In addition, the legislation explains that Indian farm-raised shrimp is produced under weak environmental and worker protection. Indian shrimp aquaculture is known to decimate mangrove forests, rampantly use banned antibiotics and fungicides, and employ child labor. It is also processed under contract labor arrangements that encourage and facilitate forced labor. These conditions – rather than significant advancements in efficiency— have resulted in India dominating the U.S. shrimp market, while the domestic shrimp industry accounts for less than 10% of the shrimp consumed in this country.
“This law will ensure safer, higher-quality shrimp for consumers and provide a long-term solution to India’s unethical cost-cutting practices,” said Blake Price, deputy director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance. “We are grateful to Senators Cassidy and Hyde-Smith for introducing a bill that would stabilize an unfairly manipulated market that has decimated thousands of U.S. multigenerational shrimping businesses.”
Read the press release of Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) regarding the reintroduction of the India Shrimp Tariff Act, “Cassidy, Hyde-Smith Introduce Legislation to Crack Down on Unfair Trade Practices, Protect Louisiana Shrimp, Catfish Industries” here: https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cassidy-hyde-smith-introduce-legislation-to-crack-down-on-unfair-trade-practices-protect-louisiana-shrimp-catfish-industries/
Review the India Shrimp Tariff Act, here: https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/India-Shrimp-Tarrif-Act-2025.pdf
About the Southern Shrimp Alliance
The Southern Shrimp Alliance (SSA) is an organization of shrimp fishermen, shrimp processors, and other members of the domestic industry in the eight warmwater shrimp producing states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas.