India’s seafood exports to the US are expected to rebound after tariff cuts to 18%, according to SEAI, improving trade competitiveness and demand.
India’s seafood exports to the United States are expected to witness a recovery after months of decline, following Washington’s decision to reduce import tariffs to 18 per cent from the earlier 25 per cent, according to the Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI). The tariff relief comes as part of a broader trade understanding between the two countries and is expected to revive shipment volumes that were impacted by higher duties.
During the April–November period of the current financial year, India’s fish exports to the US declined by 15 per cent in volume to 201,501 tonnes, while export value fell 6.3 per cent year-on-year to USD 1.72 billion, compared with USD 1.84 billion in the same period last year. SEAI General Secretary K N Raghavan noted that the reduction in tariffs is likely to help exporters regain lost ground in the coming months.
The downturn followed the imposition of steep tariffs by the US in August 2025, when duties on Indian goods were raised to as high as 50 per cent—the highest levied on any Asian country. This included an additional 25 per cent penalty linked to India’s purchase of Russian oil, which significantly disrupted trade flows. As a result, several US buyers reportedly held Indian seafood consignments in customs-bonded warehouses and released them only when market conditions allowed.
With the tariff now reduced to 18 per cent, exporters expect shipments to gradually return to earlier levels, Raghavan said. The US remains India’s largest seafood export destination after China and the European Union, with frozen fish accounting for nearly 83 per cent of total seafood exports. The recent trade announcement by US President Donald Trump is expected to ease bilateral trade tensions and provide renewed momentum to India’s seafood export sector.
News Courtesy: economictimes