The Unintended Consequence of an Export Ban: Evidence from Benin’s Shrimp Sector

The inability of Benin to comply with EU standards led to a ban on its shrimp exports. We show that the ban had a negative impact on the income of fishmongers and fishermen, in the short run, but also several years after it was lifted. The impact persisted because exports to the EU did not revive and the local shrimp demand could not fully compensate for the loss of the EU market. A small number of local actors coped with the ban by moving out of the sector, but the large majority were locked in the local fishery sector.