Visakhapatnam Port has retained its position as India’s leading marine export gateway, handling a record 5.12 lakh metric tonnes of seafood cargo during the 2025-26 financial year, according to the latest data released by the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA).
The port accounted for more than 26 per cent of India’s total seafood export volume of 19.32 lakh metric tonnes, underlining its growing strategic importance in the country’s marine export ecosystem.
Industry stakeholders attributed the strong performance to the successful integration of the National Traceability Framework (2025) across the port’s terminals, which has strengthened compliance standards for high-value seafood shipments destined for key global markets such as the European Union and China.
On the West Coast, Jawaharlal Nehru Port emerged as the second-largest marine export hub, handling 3.28 lakh metric tonnes of seafood cargo. While JNPT continues to play a crucial role in serving Western markets, industry experts noted that it still trails Visakhapatnam in specialised seafood handling infrastructure.
Kochi Port ranked third with 1.83 lakh metric tonnes, driven largely by value-added processed marine products, while Kolkata Port handled 1.44 lakh metric tonnes, maintaining its strong position in exports of the premium Black Tiger shrimp variety. Along with Chennai Port, the top five ports collectively contributed nearly 64 per cent of India’s total seafood export value, which touched an all-time high of ₹72,325.82 crore ($8.28 billion) during FY 2025-26.
Shift in Export Markets
The fiscal year also witnessed a significant geographical shift in India’s seafood trade flows. Reciprocal tariffs contributed to a 14.5 per cent decline in export value to the United States market. However, exporters operating through Visakhapatnam successfully redirected volumes towards the European Union and China, which recorded growth rates of 37.9 per cent and 22.7 per cent respectively.
Officials from MPEDA said the expansion and modernisation of cold-chain infrastructure at Visakhapatnam Port played a critical role in reducing transit losses and preserving the stringent quality standards demanded by international buyers.
Speaking on the development, Visakhapatnam Port Deputy Chairperson Roshni A. Korati said the port had continued its dominance as India’s premier marine export hub during FY 2025-26.
“Supported by a strong aquaculture belt and robust cold-chain logistics, the port is well positioned to achieve further growth in export value in the coming years,” she said.
