U.S. shrimpers seek ban on Indian imports over forced labor allegations

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(The Center Square) – American shrimp fishermen are asking federal trade regulators to block imports from a major Indian seafood producer accused of using forced labor to undercut domestic competitors.

The complaint, filed Wednesday with the U.S. International Trade Commission, alleges that Indian seafood exporter Nekkanti Sea Foods uses exploitative labor practices to reduce production costs, allowing its shrimp to compete unfairly with American-caught seafood.

The legal action, supported by the Southern Shrimp Alliance, also names several major U.S. retailers, including Aldi and Meijer, which allegedly sell shrimp linked to the company's supply chain.

The complaint was filed by two U.S. shrimp businesses, Versaggi Shrimp Corp. and W & W Dock, and seeks an investigation under Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930.

If successful, the case could establish a new legal precedent by recognizing forced labor as an unfair method of competition, potentially opening the door for other American industries to challenge imports produced under similar conditions.

“Forced labor is not a competitive advantage; it’s an inhumane practice that must end,” said Blake Price, executive director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance.

The case relies heavily on a three-year investigation by Corporate Accountability Lab, a nonprofit organization serving as co-counsel for the shrimpers.

Its 2024 report documented widespread labor abuses throughout India's shrimp industry, including debt bondage, recruitment fees, withheld wages and severe restrictions on workers' movements.

Investigators found that some migrant workers were housed in company-owned facilities under guard supervision, with certain workers reporting that they could leave the premises only once a month.

These practices enable Indian shrimp companies to operate at lower costs than American producers, according to the complaint.

In 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor added Indian shrimp to its list of goods produced with forced labor, citing evidence that migrant workers face recruitment debts, restricted movement and other coercive employment conditions.

Despite those findings, India remains the dominant foreign supplier of shrimp to the United States.

In 2025, India supplied approximately 52% of all peeled shrimp and 40% of frozen warmwater shrimp imported into the country, according to figures provided by the Southern Shrimp Alliance.

During the first eight months of 2026, American imports of Indian peeled shrimp were valued at nearly $1 billion.