India’s seafood exports to the United States are poised for a recovery after Washington agreed to cut tariffs on Indian goods to 18% from 25%, according to the Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI). The move comes after several months of declining shipments triggered by higher duties and uncertainty over trade terms.
Export volumes of seafood to the US fell 15% year-on-year to 201,501 tonnes during April–November of the current financial year, while export value declined 6.3% to USD 1.72 billion from USD 1.84 billion in the corresponding period last year, SEAI General Secretary K N Raghavan said.
“The field has become level again, exports should get the boost,” Raghavan told PTI, adding that the association expects shipments to return to earlier levels following the tariff reduction. “With tariffs coming down to 18%, we should get back to the previous volumes,” he said.
The downturn followed the US decision in August 2025 to impose tariffs of up to 50% on Indian goods—the highest levied on any Asian country at the time—including a 25% penalty linked to India’s purchase of Russian oil. During this period, exporters continued to service existing contracts, but fresh orders slowed significantly due to uncertainty over applicable tariff rates.
According to SEAI, several US buyers held shipments in customs-bonded warehouses and released them only as required, reflecting caution amid fluctuating trade conditions.
US President Donald Trump announced the trade agreement with India earlier this week, signalling a thaw in trade tensions between the two countries. The US is India’s largest seafood export destination after China and the European Union, with frozen fish accounting for about 83% of India’s total seafood exports.
Raghavan declined to comment on concerns around policy uncertainty, describing tariff decisions as “geopolitical and geostrategic” matters taken at the highest levels of government. He, however, termed the reduction in duties a positive step for the industry.
“This bringing down of tariffs is a very positive development, and hopefully it should continue,” he said.