Shrimpers back change in way imports are counted
Gulf and South Atlantic shrimp groups are lining up behind a federal “manifest transparency” fix while pressing Congress and regulators for tougher screening of foreign shrimp they say is undercutting Louisiana boats and processors with antibiotics, forced labor and unfair pricing.
At issue in the near term is the Cassidy–Whitehouse Manifest Modernization Amendment, which would close a decades-old loophole so U.S. Customs releases basic shipping-manifest data not just for ocean vessels, but also for air, rail and truck cargo.
Industry advocates say the gap – created by a 1990s drafting error – blinds the public to nearly half of U.S. imports, a problem as more seafood and other goods arrive by air and land.
Backers, including the American Shrimp Processors Association and the Southern Shrimp Alliance, say broader manifest access would help spot antibiotic-tainted seafood, trans-shipment through third countries, and other schemes before products hit U.S. shelves.
In written comments to a House trade panel, the Southern Shrimp Alliance – representing fishermen and processors across Louisiana and seven other states – outlined a broader agenda: more FDA testing of imported shrimp (it cites less than 0.1% of roughly 1.5 billion pounds inspected); stronger traceability under NOAA’s Seafood Import Monitoring Program; and tighter forced-labor enforcement under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.
The group points to reporting on overseas plants and to continued imports of shrimp processed in Xinjiang, calling for stepped-up actions when facilities refuse U.S. inspections.
The Southern Shrimp Alliance also urges Congress to bolster Customs’ Enforce and Protect Act investigations so U.S. Customs and Border Patrol can move faster when importers change names mid-probe and expand cases when new evasion is uncovered.
On trade remedies, the group wants the Commerce Department to sample more exporters in India and elsewhere so margins reflect the wider industry; factor antidumping/countervailing duties into U.S. price adjustments in light of the Supreme Court’s Loper Bright ruling ending Chevron deference; consider reinstating “zeroing”; and pass “Leveling the Playing Field 2.0” to better address distorted production costs.
Framing the stakes as national security, the Southern Shrimp Alliance notes that about 94% of shrimp eaten in the U.S. is imported – roughly 90% of it from four countries – leaving domestic supply chains vulnerable if tainted or illicit product floods the market.
The Louisiana fleet, already contending with high fuel and low dock prices, says manifest transparency plus stronger testing and enforcement would help restore a fair market and keep Gulf-harvested shrimp competitive.
If Congress adopts the manifest fix and agencies step up inspections and labor oversight, shrimpers say consumers would gain clearer sourcing, law-abiding importers would face a level field and Louisiana boats might get a fighting chance in the season ahead.