Last week, Congressman Mike Ezell joined Congressman Troy Nehls (TX-22) and a coalition of coastal members in introducing the bipartisan Save Our Shrimpers Act of 2024 (H.R. 7932), which would end taxpayer financing of foreign shrimp and protect the American shrimping industry.

Foreign shrimpers in nations such as China, Vietnam, India, and Thailand have engaged in illegal trade practices to undermine the American shrimping industry. These nations subsidize shrimpers, enabling them to sell their shrimp below production costs and drive Americans out of the market. The International Trade Commission previously found these practices have cost America's shrimping industry more than $4 billion and resulted in the loss of thousands of jobs.

Unfortunately, U.S. taxpayer dollars are being used to subsidize foreign shrimp through International Financial Institutions (IFIs) such as the International Monetary Fund. The Save Our Shrimpers Act would end this by prohibiting federal funds from being made available to IFIs to finance any activity relating to shrimp farming, shrimp processing, or shrimp exporting from a foreign nation to the United States.

“Our tax dollars should not be used to subsidize foreign shrimpers, especially those engaged in unethical trade practices,” said Congressman Ezell. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing the Save Our Shrimpers Act to put an end to this problem and support American shrimpers.”

“Due to the global excess capacity and production of farm-raised shrimp and imports, the U.S. market is being overwhelmed and driving shrimp prices down to levels that many shrimpers cannot cover the cost of a single shrimp fishing trip,” Congressman Nehls said. “Shrimpers in the 22nd Congressional District of Texas, along the Gulf Coast, and Atlantic Coast are faced with similar difficult decisions of whether to catch shrimp, tie up the trawlers for the season, or even be forced to sell their trawlers. In order to save our nation’s shrimping industry, we must exhaust every legislative option on the table. I commend my colleagues for joining me in support of this important effort to save our shrimpers.”

In addition to Congressmen Ezell and Nehls, the Republican co-leads of H.R. 7932 include Congressmen Clay Higgins (LA-03), Garret Graves (LA-06), and Barry Moore (AL-02) and Congresswoman Nancy Mace (SC-01). Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34) is the bill's Democrat co-lead.