Analysis of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) monthly refusal data shows that 77% of shrimp shipments refused for banned antibiotics in 2026 have originated from processors operating with certifications under the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) program.
Executive Summary
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported 106 seafood entry line* refusals in July 2026.
Key Takeaways
- In July 2026, 5.6% of all FDA seafood import entry line refusals involved shrimp contaminated with banned antibiotics.
- The FDA refused six shrimp entry lines in July 2026 for reasons related to the presence of banned veterinary drug residues.
- Four of those six shrimp entry lines refused in July for banned antibiotics originated from a BAP-certified facility.
- A total of 48 shrimp entry lines have been refused for antibiotic residues year-to-date in 2026.
- In 2026, 77% of FDA shrimp entry line refusals related to banned antibiotics originated from BAP-certified facilities.
- The FDA’s Import Refusal Report for July only appears to cover refusals made through July 27th. Preliminary data available through the FDA’s Data Dashboards indicates that an additional entry line of Chinese shrimp was refused for reasons related to veterinary drug residues on July 29th.
- The FDA revised its reporting in the Import Refusal Report for June, deleting reference to a refusal of an entry line of shrimp from China’s LianJiang Xulong Foods Co. Ltd. on June 17, 2026 and now reporting a refusal of an entry line of shrimp from Vietnam’s Bac Lieu Fishery Joint Stock Company – Nha Trang Branch on June 30, 2026 for the presence of nitrofurans. As noted below, an entry line of shrimp from China’s LianJiang Xulong Foods Co. Ltd. has now been reported as refused for veterinary drug residues on July 6, 2026 and the listing for Vietnam’s Bac Lieu Fishery Joint Stock Company – Nha Trang Branch on Import Alert 16-129 was expanded on July 26, 2026. Although Vietnam’s Bac Lieu Fishery Joint Stock Company – Nha Trang Branch had been operating under a BAP-certification this year (P10577), the exporter is no longer listed in BAP’s database.
JULY 2026 SHRIMP ANTIBIOTIC REFUSALS
Total FDA Seafood Refusals (July)
106 entry lines
Shrimp Antibiotic Refusals (July)
6 entry lines
Total FDA Seafood Refusals (YTD)
703 entry lines
Shrimp Antibiotic Refusals (YTD)
48 entry lines
Refusals from BAP-Certified Facilities (YTD) 77% (37 entry lines)
Trend Analysis
FDA refusal data in July found shrimp contaminated with veterinary drug residues from two different countries.
- Through the first seven months of 2026, the countries responsible for the most entry line refusals of shrimp for the presence of veterinary drug residues are India (10), Indonesia (10), and Vietnam (10), followed by Bangladesh (6) and China (6).
July 2026 Refusals: Detailed Exporter Data
The FDA refused six entry lines of shrimp in July 2026 for reasons related to veterinary drug residues (antibiotics/fungicides).
1. Organic Shrimps Export Ltd.
- Origin: Bangladesh
- Refusal Date(s): July 1, 2026
- FDA Division: Northeast Imports
- Violation(s): 4 entry lines of shrimp refused for Nitrofurans and Veterinary Drug Residues
- Certification Status: 🔴 BAP-Certified (1-Star)
- Processing Plants: P10675
- Import Alert Status: Listed on Import Alert 16-129 (“Detention Without Physical Examination of Seafood Products Due to Nitrofurans”) on April 16, 2026.
2. LianJiang Xulong Foods Co., Ltd.
- Origin: China
- Refusal Date(s): July 6, 2026
- FDA Division: Northeast Imports
- Violation(s): 1 entry line of refused for Veterinary Drug Residues
- Import Alert Status: Not on the “green” list for IA 16-131 (“Detention Without Physical Examination of Aquacultured Shrimp, Dace, and Eel from China and Hong Kong SAR – Presence of New Animal Drugs and/or Unsafe Food Additives”).
3. Rongdong Xingye Agricultural Products Co., Ltd.
- Origin: China
- Refusal Date(s): July 20, 2026
- FDA Division: Northeast Imports
- Violation(s): 1 entry line of refused for Unsafe Additive and Veterinary Drug Residues
- Import Alert Status: Not on the “green” list for IA 16-131 (“Detention Without Physical Examination of Aquacultured Shrimp, Dace, and Eel from China and Hong Kong SAR – Presence of New Animal Drugs and/or Unsafe Food Additives”).
4. Bac Lieu Fisheries Joint Stock Company – Nha Trang Branch
- Origin: Vietnam
- Refusal Date(s): June 30, 2026
- FDA Division: West Coast Imports
- Violation(s): 1 entry line refused for Nitrofurans
- Certification Status: 🔴 Previously BAP-Certified (1-Star)
- Processing Plant: P10577 – Not Currently Listed in BAP’s Producer List
- Import Alert Status: Listed on Import Alert 16-129 (“Detention Without Physical Examination of Seafood Products Due to Nitrofurans”) on December 18, 2025, with the listing expanded to cover additional shrimp products on July 27, 2026. “Bac Lieu Fisheries” has been listed on listed on Import Alert 16-124 (“Detention Without Physical Examination of Aquaculture Seafood Products Due to Unapproved Drugs”) since June 19, 2015 for sulfadoxine in its shrimp.
BAP-Certified Facility Tracker (2026 YTD)
The Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification program, operated by the Global Seafood Alliance, is widely used by retailers and seafood brands to indicate that seafood is safe and responsibly farmed.
77% of shrimp entry lines refused for antibiotics in the first seven months of 2026 originated from facilities that operated with BAP certifications this year. This finding raises questions about whether third-party certification audits adequately detect banned veterinary drug use at farms and processing plants.
The shrimp entry lines refused by the FDA for banned antibiotics in 2026 originated from ten BAP-certified facilities operating in six different countries (Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam), led by Indonesia’s PT. Tamron Akuatik Produk Industri, followed by Bangladesh’s Organic Shrimps Export Ltd.
Historical Context & Data Trends
FDA Refusals of Shrimp Entry Lines for Veterinary Drug Residues
2026 YTD Total: 48
2025 Full Year: 93 (the 6th highest total in 24 years)
Regulatory & Public Health Notes
Other Shrimp Entry Line Refusals
Similar to June, another five entry lines of shrimp – all from Ecuador – were refused for salmonella. All five of these entry lines were from Expotuna S.A.
In addition, two entry lines of breaded shrimp from Indonesia’s PT. Winaros Kawula Bahari because they lacked the importer certification required for shrimp exported from certain regions of Indonesia pursuant to Import Alert 99-52 (“Detention Without Physical Examination of Certain Human Food Products from Certain Regions in Indonesia Subject to the Requirement of Import Certification Per Section 801(q)”). These entry lines are designated with the refusal charge code 3910 that has, otherwise, not yet been defined by the FDA.
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)
The FDA has not authorized the use of antibiotics in shrimp farming. Scientists tie the use of banned antibiotics and fungicides in foreign shrimp aquaculture to the creation and spread of AMR.
Antibiotics in shrimp farming are often used for:
- Disease treatment
- Disease prevention
- Growth promotion
These practices can contribute to global antibiotic resistance, which the World Health Organization identifies as a major public health threat.
*What is an entry line? An entry line refers to each unique product form included in a container. A single shipment generally will include multiple entry lines. For example, if a container contains retail bags of 16/20 count headless, shell-on shrimp and 21/25 count headless, shell-on shrimp, then there will be two entry lines associated with that single shipment. Entry lines do not provide volume data.
Report Source: FDA’s Operational and Administrative System for Import Support (OASIS) data analyzed by the Southern Shrimp Alliance.