Several sea food exporters have managed to safeguard themselves from the severe impact of the US tariff as the European Union allowed 102 Indian sea food exporters to tap the European market, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said on Tuesday. Speaking with the media, Goyal said the government had initially anticipated a short-term setback for marine exporters after the US did not move forward on a bilateral trade pact this year.
"Our seafood exports which we thought will take a hit as we have not been able to conclude the bilateral trade agreement. We are happy to note that thanks to quality control measures, we have succeeded in getting Indian seafood exporters access to the EU market after 9 years," said Goyal.
With the Quality Control Order (QCO) in place, the Ministry is hopeful that the Indian exporters have become more competitive and will be able to tap more markets in future. With the EU allowing the export of seafood, there has been considerable growth in the sector in the last three months. With the US President Donald Trump imposing tariffs, sea food was one of the worst affected sectors.
“From April to October last year our (seafood) export was $4.21 billion. This year it is already $4.82 billion. All of this leads to job creation and business opportunities,” added Goyal.
European countries have historically been difficult markets for marine products. The bloc had not approved any Indian fishing, fisheries or marine-processing establishments for nearly a decade, blocking significant export potential. According to the Commerce Ministry, the breakthrough could have been possible only after India’s push to tighten its domestic quality ecosystem through a series of Quality Control Orders (QCOs). While QCOs were aimed at upgrading India’s standards regime, they also became a point of negotiation with the EU, which was seeking greater assurance on compliance before relisting Indian exporters.
According to the Ministry, the EU nod is significant not only for immediate export volumes but also for India’s broader ambition to reposition itself as a reliable supplier of high-standard marine products.