Japan, Russia, US and EU Reject Indian Shrimp Exports Worth Rs 40 Crore Due to Antibiotic Contamination

Despite strong global demand and record-breaking seafood exports touching 5.51 billion USD in the 2025-2026 fiscal year, India's booming shrimp export industry is facing a severe quality crisis.

Key Highlights:
- Rejections by Superpowers: According to Ministry of Fisheries reports, 35 consignments totaling 548 tonnes of Indian shrimp (valued at approximately Rs 40 crore) were rejected and returned over the last year. The US returned the highest (22 consignments), followed by the EU (9), Japan (3), and Russia (1).
- Antibiotic Contamination: The rejections were triggered by the detection of banned antibiotics such as nitrofurans and chloramphenicol, raising serious questions about domestic pre-export testing standards by the Export Inspection Council (EIC).
- Production and Market Resilience: While overall shrimp production has crossed 11 million tonnes (with Vannamei touching 10.5 million tonnes and Black Tiger seeing a strong comeback), exporters are calling for stricter, more transparent domestic checks to safeguard India's international reputation against stringent global regulations.