Where should Iran export its shrimp?

Iran has considerable potential for shrimp production and export, yet its share of the global shrimp export market remains limited. One important question is: Which international markets offer the greatest opportunities for Iranian shrimp exporters?

In this study, we examined Iran’s shrimp export competitiveness and market structure over 20 years (2003–2022), using Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA), Symmetric Revealed Comparative Advantage (SRCA), Concentration Ratios (CR), and the Herfindahl–Hirschman Index (HHI).

🔍 The findings reveal three important patterns.

First, the global shrimp export market has become more concentrated. By 2022, Ecuador, India, Vietnam, and Mozambique together accounted for approximately 55% of global shrimp exports, highlighting the increasingly competitive nature of the market.

Second, Iran’s export market was considerably more concentrated. The four largest importers of Iranian shrimp accounted for approximately 73%–96% of Iran’s exports during the study period. This creates vulnerability to changes in trade policies, import restrictions, or demand in a small number of markets.

Third, Iran’s revealed comparative advantage showed substantial fluctuations but improved considerably in recent years. The RCA reached 5.0 in 2022, indicating a strong revealed export advantage. However, SRCA remained negative in most years, suggesting that Iran’s competitive position was not consistently stable.

🌍 So, where are the most promising markets?

Based on export advantage and stability, the study identifies:

🥇 Hong Kong

🥈 United Arab Emirates

🥉 Malaysia

4️⃣ Russia

5️⃣ Qatar

6️⃣ China

7️⃣ Vietnam

Interestingly, Vietnam had the highest average export advantage but also the greatest volatility, whereas Hong Kong showed the lowest coefficient of variation, suggesting a more stable and lower-risk market.

💡 The central message is clear: Iran’s challenge is not simply producing more shrimp—it is building a more diversified, stable, and competitive export market.

Reducing dependence on a small number of destinations, strengthening trade relations, investing in infrastructure, improving processing and packaging, and developing stable markets could help Iran convert its production potential into a stronger position in global shrimp trade.

In other words, export competitiveness is not only about having a comparative advantage; it is also about choosing the right markets and maintaining them over time.

📌 Reference:

Majidian, M., Saleh, I., Haghparast Sedaghat, A., Shatoei Gharenjeh, E., & Katebi, M. (2025). Prioritizing Iranian shrimp target markets based on market competitiveness indicators. Journal of Utilization and Cultivation of Aquatics, 14(2), 215–233.

DOI: 10.22069/japu.2024.22413.1871

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