Diversification and Competitiveness Patterns in International Shrimp and Prawn Trade: Evidence from Ecuador, India, Viet Nam, and Indonesia

This study aimed to jointly characterize destination diversification and revealed competitiveness in the international shrimp and prawn trade of Ecuador, India, Viet Nam, and Indonesia during 2020–2024. A quantitative, descriptive–comparative approach was applied using annual FOB values at the exporter–destination level obtained from Trade Map (ITC). Destination diversification was proxied by the Herfindahl–Hirschman Index (HHI), while market-level competitiveness was measured through the Normalized Revealed Comparative Advantage (NRCA). Results show that Ecuador expanded exports while maintaining persistently high destination concentration. India exhibited broad revealed comparative advantage across multiple markets, yet remained highly concentrated, with episodes of deconcentration that were not sustained. Viet Nam recorded relative stagnation, moderate concentration, and heterogeneous competitiveness across destinations. Indonesia experienced contraction with extremely high concentration, characterized by a pronounced advantage in the United States alongside disadvantages in alternative markets. Overall, a positive NRCA did not necessarily imply a low HHI, and vulnerability increased when competitive advantage aligned with a small set of anchor markets, constraining adjustment capacity under shocks. The study recommends institutionalizing integrated HHI–NRCA dashboards, strengthening destination-specific market intelligence and early-warning systems, setting operational deconcentration targets, and implementing differentiated market strategies—consolidating advantages where robust, converting near-neutral positions into sustained advantages, and redesigning entry into unfavorable markets through improvements in quality, traceability, and logistics efficiency.