Shrimp export crisis: CM N Chandrababu Naidu says US tariffs cause Rs 25,000 cr loss; seeks Centre’s urgent relief for aquaculture sector

Facing mounting cancellations of nearly half the shrimp export orders, Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu has said US tariffs have inflicted losses of around Rs 25,000 crore on the state’s aquaculture sector.Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has said that American tariffs have dealt a heavy blow to the state’s shrimp exports, causing an estimated Rs 25,000 crore loss and leading to the cancellation of nearly half the export orders.In letters to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Fisheries Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Naidu flagged the difficulties faced by the aquaculture sector and urged the Centre’s support, according to a press release issued on Sunday night, PTI reported.“The taxes imposed by America majorly hit shrimp exports. It is estimated that a loss of Rs 25,000 crore would have occurred. Up to 50 per cent export orders have been cancelled,” Naidu wrote, citing taxes worth Rs 600 crore levied on shipments through 2,000 containers.Andhra Pradesh accounts for 80 per cent of the country’s shrimp exports and 34 per cent of marine exports valued at Rs 21,246 crore annually, the Chief Minister said. Around 2.5 lakh families and 30 lakh more in allied sectors depend on the industry, he added.Naidu outlined several steps taken by his government, including persuading feed manufacturers to cut prices by Rs 9 per kg and exploring subsidised power transformers for farmers. He urged the Centre to boost domestic consumption of aquaculture products, relax GST rules, provide financial support, and establish a Rs 100 crore corpus fund.The CM also sought cold storage facilities, hygienic fish markets, dedicated trains for aquaculture transport, and regional offices of ICAR-CIBA and ICAR-NBFGR in Andhra Pradesh. He called for a one-time top-up loan of Rs 1 lakh under Kisan Credit Cards and pressed for stronger processing and packaging infrastructure to tap new marketsNaidu underlined the importance of creating awareness campaigns to encourage seafood consumption in India, pointing out that per capita intake at 12-13 kg remains well below the global average of 20-30 kg.