Minister André de Paula and the Secretary of Agricultural Defense of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa), Carlos Goulart, announced the end of shrimp imports from Ecuador. The decision was made after an audit carried out by the Secretariat of Agricultural Defense (SDA) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA), which pointed out irregularities in Ecuadorian products. The action took place on Tuesday (3), at the headquarters of the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture (MPA).
Earlier this year, Ministers Carlos Fávaro (MAPA) and André de Paula (MPA) met with representatives of the fisheries sector to discuss concerns about shrimp imports from Ecuador. At the time, they committed to adopting strategic measures to protect the Brazilian aquaculture production chain.
As a result of this dialogue, an international audit was carried out in Ecuador in November. The mission assessed the compliance of the Ecuadorian veterinary service with the animal health requirements demanded by Brazil, especially for shrimp exports. According to Secretary Carlos Goulart, technical evidence was found that justifies the end of imports. "The mission was a success and as of December 9, shrimp from Ecuador will no longer be allowed to enter Brazil," he said.
Goulart highlighted that Brazil maintains strict agricultural defense standards to guarantee safe food. "If we are subject to extremely high requirements for exports, we must adopt the same rigor in imports. An organized sector strengthens agricultural defense."
For Minister André de Paula, joint work between the ministries and the private sector was essential to meet the demands of Brazilian producers. "Minister Fávaro, always supportive and correct, supported sending the mission to Ecuador, which brought the results presented here. As for fish exports, we will continue to expand our participation in international markets, maintaining the high health standards required by our trading partners," he said.
With the ban on importing shrimp from Ecuador, the president of the Brazilian Shrimp Farmers Association (ABCC), Itamar Rocha, believes that the measure mitigates health risks and maintains the high level of quality of Brazilian production. In addition, the closure of the Ecuadorian market increases opportunities for the Brazilian sector.
The world's leading shrimp exporter, Ecuador is responsible for more than 40% of Brazil's frozen shrimp imports in 2024. According to data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), Brazilian production in 2023 was 127.4 thousand tons, with constant growth in the value of production since the beginning of the historical series, in 2019. Carnivorous farming is practiced in states in all regions of the country, with the highest concentration in the Northeast region, with Ceará being the main producer in Brazil.
