U.S. shrimpers say they need tariffs to survive

Trump State of the Union: Shrimpers support push for tariffs

Workers in the US shrimp industry are behind President Trump's continued push for tariffs, even after the Supreme Court went against the tariffs. FOX 26's Tom Zizka shares how the national shrimping business is impacted by foreign imports.

HOUSTON - Workers in the US shrimp industry are behind President Trump's continued push for tariffs, even after the Supreme Court went against the tariffs.

Trump tariffs supported by US shrimpers

Big picture view:

Shrimp is the most popular seafood in the United States, but the domestic shrimping industry that works to satisfy that craving has been shrinking for years. While there are a number of responsible factors, shrimpers say the biggest problem is cheap, imported products flooding the market. 

By the numbers:

More than 90% of our annual shrimp consumption comes from outside the United States, primarily from India, Ecuador, and Central Asia.

As imports have pushed shrimp prices lower, and costs have only gone up, the multi-state Southern Shrimp Alliance says a lot of shrimpers have been forced out of business. In Texas, there are fewer than a thousand still working the water, while the Alliance says the Gulf and southern Atlantic fleet has dropped more than 70% over two decades.

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‘They couldn’t make it'

What they're saying:

Shrimpers say President Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs offered some welcome relief against the crush of imports and allegations of selling shrimp below market value, known as "dumping." 

After the Supreme Court ruling that invalidated those tariffs, the Alliance is now lobbying to support the President's renewed effort to keep the financial pressure on foreign imports.
Without it, shrimpers fear their industry will be unable to survive.

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"They couldn't make it, they couldn't pay their insurance, they couldn't pay their mortgage, they couldn't pay their crew because shrimp prices were so cheap they couldn't afford to leave the dock," says Brent Fulcher, of the Southern Shrimp Alliance, about why some shrimpers are unable to continue their work in the absence of tariffs to protect against imported shrimp, "Without it, basically the short answer is you won't have domestic shrimp production in three or four years."