Strength in Numbers: American Food Industries Join Forces to Fight Unfair Competition
The Southern Shrimp Alliance (SSA) has partnered strategically with other domestic food producers facing similar trade challenges to advocate together as a coalition. Last week, SSA joined representatives from the American Honey Producers Association (AHPA) and the Catfish Farmers of America (CFA) for meetings in Washington D.C. to seek stronger enforcement against unfair foreign competition devastating the U.S. honey, catfish, crawfish, and shrimp industries.
Building Congressional Support
The ad hoc coalition met with the offices of Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) (featured in a social media post), Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), and Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) to present the substantial economic impact these industries have on the economies of Alabama and Mississippi and how that value has been eroded by foreign competitors’ unfair trade practices.
The pattern is consistent across industries: dramatic increases in the volume of foreign goods over two decades have devastated American businesses that operate under completely different rules and have resulted in steep declines in U.S. production.
Senator Tuberville identified the common challenges faced by Alabama catfish, honey, and shrimp producers in a recent Newsweek editorial:
Countries like Vietnam and India are prime examples of ‘trade partners’ who have been ripping us off. In Alabama, we have seen some of the effects firsthand. For years, Vietnamese and Indian exporters have been adulterating honey with cane, rice, and corn sweeteners before dumping it on the U.S. domestic market. Additionally, Vietnam has been dumping billions of dollars’ worth of catfish from sewage-polluted water into U.S. markets, while India is doing the same with shrimp—flooding the markets and driving down prices for our high-quality domestic products. Alabama’s honey, catfish, and shrimp producers have had a hard time competing as a result.
Executive Branch Engagement
In addition to Congressional meetings, the coalition engaged with the Office of the United States Trade Representative and the White House’s Office of Public Liaison in separate meetings. Expressing support for President Trump’s approach to trade policy, industry representatives summarized the existential threat confronted by many sectors of American food producers, giving specific examples from the catfish, crawfish, honey, and shrimp industries.
The coalition’s message was clear: focusing solely on opening new overseas markets will not stop the offshoring of American food production.
The in-person exchange follows a joint letter to President Trump outlining the ad hoc coalition’s shared concerns and proposed solutions. The May 9th letter was signed by the American Honey Producers Association, the Catfish Farmers of America, the Crawfish Processors Alliance, the Louisiana Farm Bureau Crawfish Committee, and the Southern Shrimp Alliance.
Photo credit: Southern Shrimp Alliance. Left to right: Brad Graham, President, Catfish Farmers of America; Steven Coy, President, American Honey Producers Association; and John Williams, Executive Director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance
Impact for the Shrimp Industry
Coalition building significantly strengthens SSA’s advocacy efforts on behalf of the U.S. shrimp industry. By uniting with other domestic food producers facing similar challenges, the shrimp industry is creating a more effective voice to drive policy change. The coordinated approach allows these industries to:
- Present a unified position for lawmakers and regulators
- Demonstrate the broader economic and national security implications of offshoring food production
- Build momentum for comprehensive trade enforcement solutions
“It is heartbreaking to learn that beekeepers and catfish growers across our nation are being put out of business alongside American shrimpers,” said John Williams, the Executive Director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance. “However, there is power in numbers. By joining with catfish, crawfish, and honey producers, the U.S. shrimp industry can more effectively advocate for long-term solutions that will ensure the longevity of American food production, promote the health of our fellow citizens, and support our national security objectives.” Read the joint letter to President Trump (May 9, 2025): https://shrimpalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Letter_Honey-catfish-crawfish-shrimp_Final.pdf