A bipartisan trio of House lawmakers introduced the Safer Shrimp Imports Act on May 13, aiming to tighten federal oversight of imported shrimp, protect U.S. consumers, and bolster the struggling Gulf Coast shrimp industry.

Led by Reps. Mike Ezell, R-MS, Julia Letlow, R-LA, and Troy Carter, D-LA, the legislation builds on a Senate proposal, S.667, by Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-MS, and aligns with the “Make America Healthy Again” initiative to enhance food safety, according to lawmakers.

With approximately 90 percent of shrimp consumed in the United States imported from countries like India and Ecuador, often with less stringent food safety standards, the bill seeks to close oversight gaps. The FDA currently tests less than 0.1 percent of shrimp imports for banned substances, a gap critics say leaves consumers vulnerable to contaminated seafood, according to Hyde-Smith’s press release on Feb. 24.

Shrimp import safety measures
The Safer Shrimp Imports Act would require the Food and Drug Administration to increase testing for contaminants such as antibiotics, pesticides and bacteria. It would require shrimp exporters to meet U.S. safety standards, applying a similar “equivalence” framework used by the USDA for imported catfish, ensuring overseas producers aren’t held to looser rules. The legislation would also mandate public reporting of inspection results, which are already a matter of pubic record.

“Growing up on Mississippi’s Gulf Coast, I know how important the shrimp industry is— not just to our economy, but to o...