ECUADOR · SHRIMP TRADE
Key Facts
- The country Ecuador is the Andean oil and farming country that has become the world’s largest exporter of shrimp.
- What happened On 21 October 2026, Ecuador’s shrimp industry said China still bars 6 Ecuadorian processing plants, after reinstating 8 of 14 in August.
- US share The United States took 19.4% of Ecuador’s shrimp exports in 2025, behind China at 49.5% and Europe at 21.7%.
- Size of the trade Ecuador earned US$6.56 billion from shrimp exports from January to August 2026, up 18% on a year earlier.
- The dispute China now tests heads and shells for a preservative, where it once tested only the meat, the industry says.
- Still open The industry expects an answer from China by November 2026, and the Ecuadorian government says it is negotiating.
- Power Index Ecuador ranks 8th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 38.2 points (October 2026 edition).
Six plants that process Ecuador shrimp are still barred from selling to China, the country’s biggest buyer, as of Wednesday 21 October 2026. The United States is the third-largest market for Ecuador shrimp, and American shoppers are the likeliest to feel any shift in supply.
Ecuador’s National Aquaculture Chamber, the main shrimp-farmers’ group, wants Beijing to review its testing rules. The chamber says the limits did not change, but the way samples are tested did.
What China Is Blocking
China suspended 14 plants that handle Ecuador shrimp between October 2025 and January 2026 over alleged residues of sodium metabisulfite. That is a preservative used to stop shrimp from turning black after harvest.
In August 2026, China’s customs authority reinstated 8 of the 14 plants, according to the Ecuadorian press. The other 6 stayed suspended even after President Daniel Noboa visited China from 16 to 23 August.
Suspended plants cannot ship to China at all, though other authorized Ecuadorian plants keep exporting. The chamber estimated in July that the restrictions had already cost the sector about US$45 million in 2026.
A Testing Change Behind the Dispute
The chamber says the trouble began in April 2026, when China changed how it prepares samples. Chinese labs began testing the head and shell of the shrimp, where the preservative concentrates, instead of only the meat.
José Antonio Camposano, the chamber’s president, said the permitted limits did not change. He told the Ecuadorian daily Primicias the shift from one month to the next caught the industry by surprise.
The industry commissioned a study, endorsed by the Ecuadorian authority, which concludes that the older testing method shows no health risk. Camposano said there is no exposure that endangers consumers, and he hopes for a favorable answer from China by November 2026.
Why Ecuador Shrimp Matters to Americans
The United States bought 19.4% of Ecuador’s shrimp exports in 2025, according to the chamber, against 49.5% for China and 21.7% for Europe. Together the three markets take more than 90% of what Ecuador ships.
Ecuador shrimp is the country’s top export outside oil, and the dollar is the country’s own currency. That ties the trade closely to US prices, US buyers and US bank accounts.
Ecuador shrimp sales hit a record of US$1.07 billion in July 2026, the first month above US$1 billion, according to figures from the central bank. Demand from China and the United States drove the rise.
The Numbers Behind the Boom
From January to August 2026 the sector earned US$6.56 billion, up 18% on the same period of 2025, according to the Central Bank of Ecuador. Sales to China alone reached US$2.61 billion, up 16%.
Prices have not kept pace with volumes. An industry price benchmark for mid-size Ecuadorian shrimp stood at US$4,190 per metric ton on 28 September, about US$710 below March.
Costs are also rising for farmers, who face higher electricity tariffs and supply cuts that hit pumps and cold storage. For background, see Ecuador Power Cuts Hit Industry Over 9 October Holiday.
What It Means for US Readers
US importers and restaurants that buy Ecuador shrimp can keep buying from plants that remain authorized. Nothing in the dispute stops shipments to American ports.
If China keeps turning plants away, more Ecuadorian shrimp could be offered to other buyers, including the United States. That would add supply, which tends to hold down prices, though no such shift has been reported.
Investors who follow Ecuador’s dollar economy should note how much it depends on one Asian customer. A related risk shows in Ecuador Mining Exports to China Face New Controls.
What Is Not Known
It is not known when China will decide on the 6 plants, or what test result would allow them back. The Ecuadorian government says it is seeking a technical solution but has given no date.
The names of the 6 plants and their combined share of Ecuador’s exports have not been published in the reports reviewed. It is also unclear whether any lost Chinese sales have already moved to the United States.
What Comes Next
The industry is waiting for a Chinese reply by November 2026 and continues to promote Ecuador shrimp abroad. The trade fair Aquaexpo, with about 250 companies from 25 countries, runs in Guayaquil until Thursday 22 October 2026.
Chinese customs would have to approve each plant before it could ship again. Ecuador’s government says it is working on that step.
More: Ecuador news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is China blocking some Ecuador shrimp plants?
Chinese authorities flagged alleged residues of sodium metabisulfite, a preservative that prevents shrimp from blackening. Ecuador’s industry says China changed its testing method in April 2026 to include heads and shells.
How many Ecuadorian plants are still suspended?
Six plants remain suspended as of 21 October 2026. China reinstated 8 of the 14 suspended plants in August.
Does the dispute affect shrimp sold in the United States?
No shipment to the United States has been stopped, and authorized plants keep exporting. The United States took 19.4% of Ecuador’s shrimp exports in 2025.
How big is Ecuador’s shrimp industry?
Exports earned US$6.56 billion from January to August 2026, up 18%, according to the central bank. Shrimp is Ecuador’s top export outside oil.
When could China lift the suspensions?
The industry hopes for an answer by November 2026, but China has not given a date. The Ecuadorian government says it is negotiating.
Sources: Primicias, 21 October 2026; Primicias, 19 October 2026; Vistazo, 17 August 2026; Expreso, 13 July 2026; El Comercio, July 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief