Andhra Pradesh has estimated that due to Trump US tariffs, shrimp export losses are approximately Rs 25,000 crore, with about 50 percent of export orders cancelled. Nearly Rs 600 crore in tariff burden has fallen on about 2,000 containers being exported, government officials said Monday.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has once again appealed to the Centre to support aqua farmers in Andhra Pradesh who are facing severe distress due to US-imposed tariffs.
US tariffs touched 59.72 percent after Trump announced 25 percent additional tariffs over and above the 25 percent announced earlier, as well as the 5.76 percent countervailing duty and 3.96 percent anti-dumping duty.
Naidu suggested relief in GST and extending financial packages to the state’s aqua farmers. He urged the Union Government to take decisions at the national level to protect aqua farmers from losses. The CM also requested measures to increase domestic consumption of aqua products.
Naidu has written separate letters to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, and Fisheries Minister Rajeev Ranjan Singh. He requested the finance minister to look into issues such as GST and financial relief, the commerce and industry minister to pursue agreements with other countries in the aqua sector, and the fisheries minister to focus on expanding the domestic market.
The CM pointed out that aqua farmers and families dependent on the sector in Andhra Pradesh are facing hardships. He also explained the measures currently being taken by the state government. Andhra Pradesh accounts for 80 percent of the country’s shrimp exports and 34 percent of marine exports, with exports valued at around Rs 21,246 crore annually. About 2.5 lakh aqua farmer families and 30 lakh people dependent on allied sectors are in difficulty.
Chandrababu stated that US tariffs have had the greatest impact on shrimp exports. The CM stated that the state government has already initiated relief measures — for example, after discussions with feed producers, aqua feed MRPs have been reduced by Rs 9 per kg, and subsidised supply of transformers is also being considered. He requested bank support for exporters and aqua companies, including a 240-day moratorium on loan and interest repayments, interest subsidies, and a temporary waiver of the 5 percent GST on frozen shrimp.
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In addition, he urged the Centre to focus on diversifying export markets beyond the US. He suggested entering into Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with the European Union, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Russia to boost exports. The CM also sought interim financial support for exporters, clarity on tariff/tax relief schemes, and noted that exporters were ready to supply seafood to the EU.
