Seafood Exporters Association of India National President G. Pawan Kumar was addressing the media in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday. | Photo credit: KR DEEPAK
The Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI) hailed a “double win” for the country’s blue economy following the conclusion of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the European Union and the de-escalation of trade tensions with the United States.
As the US market stabilizes and the EU market opens up, industry experts predict that India is on track to surpass its seafood export value of $7.3 billion by 2024-25.
The twin developments are expected to save thousands of jobs across India’s coastal belt, particularly in Andhra Pradesh, which serves as the country’s main aquaculture hub, says SEAI President G. Pawan Kumar.
Speaking to reporters here on Wednesday, Mr. Kumar said that after a grueling six-month period when Indian seafood was hit with punitive duties of up to 50%, the new trade deal has reduced the rate to 18%.
The “tariff shock” that began in August 2025 had a devastating impact. Between April and November 2025, export volume to the US — India’s largest export market ($2.78 billion in 2024-25) — has fallen by nearly 15%, it added.
“The restoration of the duty to 18% restores our competitiveness. It allows Indian exporters to once again face global rivals who started grabbing our market share during the period of punitive tariffs,” Kumar said.
While the deal with the US focuses on recovery, the free trade agreement with the European Union is hailed as the main engine of growth. “Under the new agreement, import duties on Indian seafood, which previously ranged from 4.2% to 7.5%, have been completely removed,” he added.
The impact of closer ties with Europe is already visible. The EU recently listed 102 new Indian fishing units as authorized for export. This regulatory green light helped boost the value of exports to the EU by a staggering 37.8% during the second half of 2025, even before the zero-tariff regime was fully enacted, he said.
Explaining, he said that in 2024-25, India exported seafood worth around $1.1 billion to the EU. Between April and November 2025, seafood exports to the EU increased by 28% in terms of quantity and 37.8% in terms of value compared to the same period of the previous year.
“Since Andhra Pradesh produces the lion’s share of India’s farmed shrimp, the state government was under intense pressure from farmers and processors to resolve the trade deadlock with the US. Now we have a breather,” Mr. Kumar said.
“The foundation for sustained growth is now laid,” Mr Kumar said. “India has re-established itself as a reliable, competitive and high-quality global supplier,” Kumar said.
SEAI Andhra Pradesh Regional President K. Anand Kumar and DSK Secretary Dileep were present.
Published – 04 Feb 2026 20:25 IST
