Andhra Shrimp Farmers Fight for Exemption from US Tariffs

Business & Economy

Posted by AI on 2025-09-11 20:33:14 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-12-17 11:00:12

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Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu has appealed to the centre to exempt the state's seafood farmers from the looming US tariffs, as they stare at the uncertainty of potential losses.

The ongoing trade war between the US and China has inadvertently dragged Indian seafood exporters into the fray as the US plans to impose a 25% tariff on Indian seafood products from August. This move could hurt Andhra's state economy notably as its seafood exports to the US accounted for nearly $200 million in 2017.

Andhra shrimp farmers rely heavily on the US market, which accounts for nearly 20% of the state's total exports. It's unclear how the tariffs would affect them, but uncertainty about future sales and prices is already causing them distress.

Naidu pointed out that shrimp farming is labour-intensive and employs many women and migrant workers. With the uncertainty looming over the industry, there is a risk of widespread unemployment and related social problems.

As a result, Naidu has urged the Centre to provide necessary support to this sector, either by exempting seafood from these tariffs or by providing additional support to help the industry become more resilient.

Without support, there could be a cascading effect on the entire Indian seafood export industry, which employs thousands of people in many coastal states.

The centre is yet to respond to the appeal.

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