After tariff cut, exporters of seafood eye recovery in US

BENGALURU: India’s seafood exports to the US are expected to recover after the latter agreed to reduce tariffs, industry body Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI) said.

The US is the largest export destination for Indian seafood, with shipments valued at $2.7 billion in 2024-25. However, exports were under pressure in recent months, following the imposition of sharply higher duties from August last year. According to SEAI, seafood exports to the US fell by about 6.3% in value terms and nearly 15% in volume during April-Nov of the current financial year compared to the same period last year. The association attributed the decline to the steep increase in tariffs, which at one point rose to as high as 50%, hurting the competitiveness of Indian products in the US market.

SEAI said it expects shipments to rebound following the conclusion of the India-US trade deal and the reduction of tariffs to 18%. “We are confident that with the conclusion of the trade deal and lowering of tariffs to 18%, the quantum of export of seafood from India to the US will show an increase and soon reach back to the previous levels,” the association said. SEAI also welcomed the role played by govt in finalising the agreement.

The industry body noted that exporters have faced a difficult period since August 2025 and thanked the finance ministry and officials from the department of financial services for supporting the sector during the downturn. “The efforts put in by them motivate us in our endeavours to take Indian seafood to the top position in global markets,” SEAI president G Pawan Kumar said. Exporters now expect the tariff rollback to help stabilise trade flows and revive shipments to the US, which accounts for a significant share of India’s marine exports.