After 8-year freeze, Andhra's prawns return to Australia

Eight years after restricting shrimp imports from India, Australia on Tuesday granted first import approval for unpeeled Indian prawns from Andhra Pradesh.

After Trump tariffs hit Indian shrimp exports, Australia has granted conditional approval for a consignment. This is the first approval since January 2017 when Australia had banned unpeeled prawn imports from India after the detection of white spot virus in certain consignments. The decision has a direct impact on Andhra Pradesh, which accounts for 80% of India's shrimp exports and had been exporting about 70% of its shrimp to the US.

Australia's decision to allow conditional import was announced by Andhra Pradesh IT and electronics minister Nara Lokesh, who is on a seven-day partnership tour to Australia. "A long-standing hurdle for Indian seafood exporters has been Australia's restrictions on unpeeled prawns due to white spot virus detection. Today, the first import approval for Indian prawns has been granted," Lokesh posted on X, terming the development as a "major step forward" for the sector.


Imposition of the tariffs by the Trump administration, which touched 59.72%, had a direct impact on Andhra's shrimp exports.

Importers in Australia and New Zealand have been pushing their governments to ease import restrictions. Speaking to ET, Dileep Maddukuri of Auckland-based Hasper Brand Labs said, "Australia has allowed a consignment of prawns from India with certain conditions. These include the product (prawns) has to be organically harvested in disease-free zones. This is to ensure that the shipment is free of white spot virus. This is a new condition. There are other conditions like prawns have to be frozen and deveined. But these were a requirement prior to 2017 as well." Maddukuri explained that if an importer has to source prawns from another country, he applies for a permit specifying which country they want to bring the shipment from.