Exporting Frozen Shrimps as a Merchant Exporter<\/h2>\n

Top Exported Marine Products from India (2023\u201324)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

India is only the 2^{nd<\/sup> top exporter of Frozen Shrimps after Ecuador in the world.<\/p>\n}

Shrimp or Shrimps is a common name typically used for crustaceans with an elongated body and a primarily swimming mode of locomotion \u2013Any small crustacean may also be referred to as “shrimp”, regardless of resemblance.<\/p>\n

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Frozen Shrimp: Dominant Export Item<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Frozen shrimp continued to be India’s leading export item, accounting for 40.19% of the total export quantity and 66.12% of the export value. In the 2023\u201324 period, 716,004 metric tons of frozen shrimp were exported, valued at $4.88 billion. Despite a 0.69% increase in quantity, the value declined by 10.95% due to factors such as sluggish demand in major markets and competitive pricing from other countries MPEDA.<\/p>\n

Major Export Destinations<\/strong><\/h3>\n

India exported marine products to 132 countries, with the following being the top destinations by export value. Data source – MPEDA<\/p>\n

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Process of Exporting Frozen Shrimps<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Certificates Required for Fish Exports from India<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\n
1. Sourcing \/ Procurement<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
   \n
   • Shrimp farming or fishing (aqua farms, coastal areas)<\/li>\n
   • Farmers must register with MPEDA<\/li>\n
   • Compliance with aquaculture standards<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
     \n
     1. Processing & Freezing<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
        \n
        • Processing at MPEDA\/EIC-approved plants<\/li>\n
        • HACCP compliance mandatory<\/li>\n
        • Freezing at -18\u00b0C or below<\/li>\n
        • Packaging (vacuum sealed \/ IQF)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
          \n
          1. Quality Testing (Labs)<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
             \n
             • Microbiological tests (E. coli, Salmonella, Vibrio)<\/li>\n
             • Chemical tests (histamine, antibiotics, heavy metals)<\/li>\n
             • Organoleptic tests (smell, taste, texture)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
               \n
               1. Certifications & Registrations<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                  \n
                  • IEC (Import Export Code) \u2013 DGFT<\/li>\n
                  • RCMC (Registration-Cum-Membership Certificate) \u2013 MPEDA<\/li>\n
                  • HACCP certification (for processing unit)<\/li>\n
                  • Health Certificate \u2013 EIA (under EIC)<\/li>\n
                  • CATCH Certificate \u2013 for EU markets<\/li>\n
                  • FDA approval \u2013 for USA exports<\/li>\n
                  • Halal certificate \u2013 for Middle East (if required)<\/li>\n
                  • Sustainability certificates (ASC, BAP, MSC \u2013 optional)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                    \n
                    1. Documentation & Customs Clearance<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                       \n
                       • Invoice, Packing List, Bill of Lading<\/li>\n
                       • Phytosanitary \/ Sanitary certificate (if importer requires)<\/li>\n
                       • Customs clearance with DGFT\/ICEGATE<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                         \n
                         1. Export & Shipment<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                            \n
                            • Reefer containers at -18\u00b0C or below<\/li>\n
                            • Route to destination market (USA, China, EU, Japan, Middle East, etc.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                              Merchant Exporter\u2019s Role:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

                              \n
                              • Merchant exporters usually procure frozen fish from MPEDA\/EIA-approved processing plants<\/strong> located in these coastal cities\/districts.<\/li>\n
                              • They do <\/strong>not buy directly from fishermen<\/strong>; instead, sourcing is through processing companies, cold storages, and seafood exporters<\/strong> who handle cleaning, freezing, HACCP compliance, and certification.<\/li>\n
                              • Direct sourcing from fishermen is not common; instead, exporters rely on processors who ensure HACCP, health certification, freezing (-18\u00b0C), and packaging standards<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
                              • India is the world\u2019s largest exporter of frozen shrimp<\/strong>, with Vannamei shrimp dominating exports<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
                              • Black Tiger shrimp<\/strong> remains a premium niche product<\/strong>, fetching higher prices per kg.<\/li>\n
                              • Most exports are in frozen forms<\/strong>: head-on, headless, peeled & deveined (P&D), tail-on, or value-added (breaded, cooked, marinated).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                Cautions for a Merchant Exporter<\/strong><\/p>\n

                                1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Supplier Compliance<\/h4>\n

                                \n
                                • Source only from MPEDA-registered and EIA\/EIC-approved processing plants.<\/li>\n
                                • Ensure supplier has HACCP-certified facilities.<\/li>\n
                                • Check that the supplier\u2019s farms\/processors follow Good Aquaculture Practices (GAP).<\/li>\n
                                • Avoid sourcing from unregistered farms or processors \u2013 shipments may be rejected by importing country.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                  2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Quality Compliances<\/h4>\n

                                  Ensure shrimp are frozen at -18\u00b0C or below<\/strong> and transported in cold chain.<\/p>\n

                                  Conduct lab tests<\/strong> for:<\/p>\n

                                  \n
                                  • Antibiotic residues (e.g., chloramphenicol, nitrofurans)<\/li>\n
                                  • Heavy metals (mercury, cadmium, lead)<\/li>\n
                                  • Microbiological safety (E. coli, Salmonella, Vibrio)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                    3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Other Operational Cautions<\/h4>\n

                                    \n
                                    • Maintain traceability records<\/strong> (farm \u2192 processor \u2192 exporter).<\/li>\n
                                    • Monitor cold chain integrity<\/strong> till loading in reefer containers.<\/li>\n
                                    • Take marine insurance & credit insurance<\/strong> to safeguard against risks.<\/li>\n
                                    • Stay updated with import country\u2019s changing regulations<\/strong> (EU, USA, China are strict on antibiotic residues).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

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                                       <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                                      Exporting Frozen Shrimps as a Merchant Exporter Top Exported Marine Products from India (2023\u201324) India is only the 2nd top exporter of Frozen Shrimps after Ecuador in the world. Shrimp or Shrimps is a common name typically used for crustaceans with an elongated body and a primarily swimming mode of locomotion \u2013Any small crustacean may\u2026 Read More »<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1930,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1929","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-iiiem"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iiiem.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1929","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iiiem.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iiiem.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iiiem.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iiiem.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1929"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.iiiem.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1929\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2269,"href":"https:\/\/www.iiiem.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1929\/revisions\/2269"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iiiem.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1930"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iiiem.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1929"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iiiem.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1929"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iiiem.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1929"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}