Versión Español
Spanish.- Throughout 2023, Venezuela reduced the import of agri-food products from the United States by 9%, despite the progressive easing of sanctions by the Joe Biden administration against the Nicolás Maduro dictatorship. However, two products stand out moving in the completely opposite direction. While there was a 45% drop in the purchase of US corn and a 33% decrease in wheat acquisition, Venezuela saw a 3,777% increase in rice imports last year and a 1,010% increase in shrimp purchases, with the latter being the most unusual, as Venezuela, a country with an extensive coastline that exports seafood products, had never before in its history imported shrimp from the US in such a large amount since record-keeping began 57 years ago.
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The most recent report from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) shows that rice sales to Venezuela between January and December 2023 generated a total of $31.3 million for US suppliers, whereas in the entire year of 2022, that figure didn’t even reach a million, closing at just $808,000.
This marks the second highest annual figure for this concept since the beginning of sanctions, as in 2021, a total amount of $80.5 million was reached by the year’s end. Before 2018, it was common to see high figures in the import section of US rice by Venezuela. Even in 2013, figures surpassed $135 million despite the anti-American discourse that the Chavista regime has maintained for over two decades.
Venezuela Breaks Record in Shrimp Purchase from the US
But undoubtedly, the 1,010% increase in shrimp purchases from the United States by a nation with an extensive Caribbean coast that historically has exported this product to various countries, including the world’s leading superpower, is even more unusual. According to the USDA, Venezuela went from buying $281,000 in US shrimp in 2022 to $3.1 million in 2023. This figure is also the highest in history for shrimp purchases from the United States since record-keeping began in 1967.
It was in 1990 that Venezuela first imported shrimp from the United States, and the annual negotiation was for only $5,000. In the preceding years, the boxes corresponding to this item remained at zero. Since then, there was a very punctual and sporadic purchase that had never in history reached a million dollars annually. In fact, Venezuela’s largest import of US shrimp prior to last year’s record of $3.1 million was in 2008 for just $563,000.
Export Shows Progressive Collapse
Historically, Venezuela had been a shrimp supplier to the United States, but now the numbers show the opposite trend. While the US allocated $6.6 million last year for the import of Venezuelan shrimp and prawns, this figure reflects a 23% decrease compared to 2022 when the negotiation was for $8.6 million. The progressive decline over the last five years is evident. In 2020, the amount was $10.2 million, and in 2019, it had been $27 million.
Today, despite the fishing industry in Venezuela surviving amidst the economic debacle brought about by Chavismo – with 80% of shrimp production for export concentrated in Lake Maracaibo – the unusual record of importing this product from the United States last year indicates that there is either insufficient capacity to meet domestic demand or that there is an elite preference for consuming imported shrimp from the demonized North American empire.
