Press Releases

Representatives Mike Ezell (MS-04), Julia Letlow (LA-05), and Troy Carter (LA-02) today introduced the Safer Shrimp Imports Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at tightening federal inspection standards for imported shrimp and protecting American consumers and domestic seafood producers.

Imported shrimp accounts for roughly 90% of the shrimp consumed in the United States, much of which comes from countries with weak food safety standards and inadequate oversight of harmful contaminants such as antibiotics, pesticides, and bacteria. The Safer Shrimp Imports Act would require the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to significantly increase testing of imported shrimp and publicly report inspection results, giving consumers more confidence in the safety of what’s on their plates.

“Growing up on Mississippi’s Gulf Coast, I know how important the shrimp industry is—not just to our economy, but to our way of life,” Ezell said. “Our local gulf coast shrimpers are playing by the rules while foreign producers are flooding the market with unsafe, low-quality products. This bill is about leveling the playing field and protecting our American producers, and keeping America healthy.”

“As we work to restore an economy built on American sweat and labor, it’s vital that Congress stands up for our Gulf Coast shrimpers," Letlow said. "Our Safer Shrimp Imports Act would hold foreign governments accountable for dumping inferior, subsidized shrimp into American markets, contaminating our food supply and undercutting our Louisiana shrimpers.”

“This bill is a crucial step toward protecting Louisiana families and supporting Louisiana’s fishing industry. By holding foreign shrimp imports to the same safety standards as our domestic producers, this legislation will safeguard public health, promote fair trade, and guarantee consumers can trust what’s on their plates. I want to thank my colleagues Rep. Ezell and Rep. Letlow for standing with me and fighting for American shrimpers and the safety of our food supply,” Carter said.

“The Safer Shrimp Imports Act is common sense legislation to ensure the safety of our nation’s most consumed imported seafood commodity, shrimp. For far too long, importing countries have dumped products into the American marketplace that are manufactured and processed without the same strict regulations that American producers must face," Ryan Bradley, Executive Director of Mississippi Commercial Fisheries United said.

“We are very grateful to Congressman Ezell for introducing this important legislation to ensure the safety of foreign shrimp imported into this country,” Armond Gollott III, the President of C.F. Gollott & Son Seafood, Inc. said. “As a fourth-generation shrimp processor, we are committed to producing the safest, best tasting gulf shrimp for our customers. It is only fair that foreign producers be required to meet the same health and safety standards as the domestic industry.”

“The American Shrimp Processors Association strongly supports the Safer Shrimp Imports Act,” Trey Pearson, the president of the American Shrimp Processors Association (ASPA) said. “Imports account for over 90 percent of the shrimp that Americans eat, and for far too long domestic shrimp producers have been forced to compete with imports that do not have to comply with our health and safety rules. If foreign countries cannot show that they meet our food safety standards, their shrimp should not be in this country, period.”

“We need the Safer Shrimp Imports Act to guarantee that foreign shrimp imports meet the same rules as domestic, gulf-caught shrimp,” Dean Blanchard, the owner of Dean Blanchard Seafood said. “The U.S. government inspects less than one percent of the 1.5 billion pounds of shrimp imported into our country each year, while our U.S. shrimp fishermen, docks, and processors must comply with strict health and safety rules. This bill will help ensure that imports meet the same standards as our Gulf shrimp industry.”

“Under the USDA’s equivalency requirements, if you want to import catfish or pangasius into this country, there are just 42 companies in three countries approved to ship that fish to the United States. Under the FDA’s current system, if you want to import shrimp, you can do so from anyone, anywhere, at any time. That’s why the FDA refused shrimp from ‘Rudong Zhengxiong Trade Co., Ltd.’ shipped to our East Coast in March and then, a month later, refused shrimp from ‘Zhengxiong (Rudong) Trade Co., Ltd.’ shipped to our West Coast,” John Williams, executive director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance said. “The Safer Shrimp Imports Act sets a common-sense minimum standard for exporting shrimp to this country by requiring that our trading partners administer a food safety system that is equivalent to our own.”

“FWC is pleased to support the Safer Shrimp Imports Act. For years, Florida shrimpers have been hurt by foreign companies that have been dumping their products into US markets while skirting safety standards. This bill brings more accountability to foreign companies and is an important step to helping US shrimpers and US customers,” Jessica McCawley, director, Division of Marine Fisheries Management at Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said. 

“We are encouraged to see action being taken by our Federal legislators to protect the integrity of the seafood supply chain and to support the US shrimping industry," Founder and COO Erin Williams of SEAD Consulting said.

The legislation works to execute on President Trump's and HHS Secretary Kennedy's vision to keep America health and eradicate its public health crisis. This bill is supported by a coalition of Gulf Coast seafood industry groups and food safety advocates. This is the House companion to S. 667 introduced by Senator Hyde-Smith in the Senate. 

###