US shrimpers face ‘double whammy’ from soaring fuel costs, tariff refunds

BAYOU LA BATRE, Alabama — Many American shrimpers are keeping their shrimp boats docked with an empty tank ahead of shrimping season as high fuel prices and tariff refunds hit the industry with a "double whammy."

Rising diesel costs — driven in part by geopolitical tensions affecting global oil supply — are squeezing margins for shrimpers who rely heavily on fuel to operate. At the same time, a dispute over tariff refunds is adding financial pressure across the industry.

Some shrimp boat owners in Bayou La Batre...