A new national group called the U.S. Shrimp Coalition launched on Thursday, acting as a unified voice for businesses, workers, retailers, restaurants, and supply chain partners. Its primary goal is to ensure that American consumers can continue to access affordable shrimp, which has become the nation's most popular seafood due to its year-round reasonable price.

Nearly 90% of the shrimp consumed in the U.S. is imported, creating a $10.4 billion economic impact across the seafood supply chain. This includes processing, packaging, transportation, retail, and food service, supporting hundreds of thousands of American jobs. Coalition Executive Director Josh Zive stated that imported shrimp is not just a trade issue; it is fundamentally about affordability, employment, and being a vital part of the U.S. food supply. The coalition will advocate for policies that keep shrimp both affordable and accessible.

Lisa Wallenda Picard, President of the National Fisheries Institute, noted that globally sourced shrimp and domestic wild-caught shrimp play complementary roles in meeting consumer demand. Overseas seafood provides a reliable, year-round supply for U.S. processors, distributors, restaurants, and retailers, which in turn supports the over 500,000 American workers they employ.

David French, Executive Vice President of Government Relations at the National Retail Federation, emphasized that new tariffs and import restrictions would ultimately lead to higher prices for consumers. Retailers support policies that maintain shrimp affordability and supply chain stability.

The coalition's policy goals include: maintaining affordability and accessibility; ensuring a stable year-round seafood supply; protecting the over 500,000 U.S. jobs linked to the imported shrimp supply chain; advancing nutritional and public health goals consistent with federal dietary guidelines; and recognizing the distinct and complementary roles of imported shrimp and domestic wild-caught shrimp in meeting demand.

Imported shrimp and domestic wild-caught shrimp are not interchangeable. Domestic shrimp is seasonal and has limited availability, while imported shrimp provides the consistent, year-round supply that consumers expect. Tariffs and import restrictions would raise costs throughout the entire seafood supply chain, leading to higher prices for American families. Zive explained that imported and domestic shrimp are complementary products that together maintain seafood affordability and abundance. Policies that guarantee access to imported shrimp benefit consumers, strengthen the supply chain, and support hundreds of thousands of American jobs. The coalition's members represent all stakeholders in the shrimp supply chain and are committed to ensuring that consumers nationwide have access to safe, nutritious, and affordable seafood.