Saving Seafood

Economic Impact

ANALYSIS: US Sockeye Prices Hold Firm as Bristol Bay Surges, Copper River Landings Drop

August 13, 2025 — Sockeye salmon remains a focal point in the US wild salmon market during the 2025 season, as stakeholders pay close attention to shifting dynamics across major production areas. The Copper River run, which is sought after as some of the first sockeye of the season and typically garners a premium in price, fell well short of elevated pre-season expectations this year. Initial forecasts had projected a harvest of 1.92 million fish—an “excellent” run that would have outpaced the five-year average by 55%. Instead, cumulative landings reached just 837,000 fish by week 31, marking a stark 56% deficit compared to projections. This puts the 2024 Copper River run squarely in line with long-term historical averages, rather than the anticipated boom season.

The resulting tight supply in this high-tier segment has kept pricing resilient, with the season closing out at an average of $6.75 per pound, up 3.85% from both 2024 levels and the rolling three-year average. Due to the limited availability, formal quotations for Copper River sockeye have now been suspended until next season.

Read the full article at Seafoodnews.com

Trump delays tariffs on China for another 90 days

August 13, 2025 — U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order further delaying a proposed tariff increase for another 90 days.

The latest order, “Further Modifying Reciprocal Tariff Rates to Reflect Ongoing Discussions with the People’s Republic of China,” cites ongoing trade talks between U.S. and Chinese officials as a reason for the delay. With the new order, the existing suspension on tariffs will now last until 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on 10 November.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Seafood inflation at US retail increased again in July; consumers continue turning toward value

August 12, 2025 — U.S. consumers paid more for seafood – and food overall – at retail stores in July, according to new data but the increases didn’t dent fresh sales volumes.

Fresh seafood prices increased 1.5 percent year over year at U.S. retail in the month, according to Lakeland, Florida, U.S.A.-based 210 Analytics, which analyzes data from market research firm Circana.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

New tariffs could boost Gulf Coast seafood industry, as lawmakers push for sustainable aquaculture

August 8, 2025 — New tariffs ranging from 15% to 20% take effect this week on a wide range of imported goods, including fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, and fish.

While shoppers may feel the pinch at the checkout, some in the U.S. seafood industry see an opportunity.

Nearly 85% of the seafood consumed in the United States is imported, according to Galveston fisherman, Scott Hickman. Major seafood suppliers including Vietnam and Indonesia both now facing new tariffs of up to 20%. The changes, part of the latest round of President Donald Trump’s trade war, are prompting renewed focus on sourcing food domestically.

For longtime Galveston fisherman Hickman, this is a welcome shift.

“America’s become addicted to cheap seafood that’s raised in ways they wouldn’t approve,” Hickman said. “Most Americans, I think, would rather spend a little bit more for the shrimp po’ boy or the crab fingers if they know it’s American-produced.”

Hickam says tariffs level the playing field for fishermen. He’s also pointing to new legislation in Congress looking to expand seafood production in the United States.

Read the full article at Click 2 Houston

USDA announces USD 6 million to increase catfish production around Chesapeake Bay

August 8, 2025 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced USD 6 million (EUR 5.2 million) in grant funding to increase catfish processing in the Chesapeake Bay region as part of an ongoing state and federal effort to manage the invasive species.

First introduced as a recreational fish in the 1960s, blue catfish quickly spread throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed, predating on and taking resources from native species and upsetting local ecosystems. State and federal governments, as well as local nonprofit organizations, have worked to remove catfish from the waters, incentivizing fishers to land more of the invasive species, encouraging consumers to eat more, and finding new applications for the fish.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

US retail, restaurant groups express grave concerns with new tariff rates

August 6, 2025 — U.S. retail and restaurant trade groups are urging President Donald Trump to lower tariffs and pursue other measures to achieve his trade goals after he recently issued an executive order implementing new duty rates on 69 countries and the European Union.

“We encourage the [Trump] administration to negotiate binding trade agreements that truly open markets by lowering tariffs, not raising them,” National Retail Federation Executive Vice President of Government Relations David French said. “These higher tariffs will hurt Americans, including consumers, retailers and their employees, and manufacturers because the direct result of tariffs will be higher prices, decreased hiring, fewer capital expenditures, and slower innovation.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

USDA to purchase USD 100 million worth of Alaska pollock

August 6, 2025 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to buy USD 100 million (EUR 86.4 million) worth of Alaska pollock and USD 20 million (EUR 17.3 million) of catfish as part of a bulk purchase of food products for food banks and nutrition assistance programs across the country.

According to the Genuine Association of Pollock Producers, the USDA has already spent nearly USD 60 million (EUR 52 million) on Alaska pollock products in fiscal year 2025, making it the fourth biggest year of USDA pollock purchases to date. The proposed USD 100 million would far outpace the previous record for USDA pollock purchases, when the department spent USD 76.3 million (EUR 65.9 million) in fiscal year 2019.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

US tariffs on Southeast Asia give China breathing room to weather current volatility, Chinese exporter says

August 5, 2025 — U.S. tariffs on Southeast Asian nations like Vietnam have helped to cushion the impact of trade disruptions on Chinese processors and exporters, according to Landy Chow, the general manager of seafood exporter Siam Canadian’s Chinese office.

The U.S. recently instituted 20 percent tariffs on Vietnamese goods, down from the 42 percent it was initially threatened with. Chinese seafood, meanwhile, faces 30 percent tariffs, as well as 25 percent Section 301 tariffs, resulting in a 55 percent overall tariff rate.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

US lawmakers propose tax credit to support working waterfront improvements

August 4, 2025 — U.S. legislators want to create a new tax credit to incentivize investments that minimize the impact of natural disasters on working waterfronts.

“Let’s empower coastal businesses to invest in flood and disaster prevention before a storm hits,” U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana) said in a statement. “Doing so protects our way of life, fishing and coastal industries, and the livelihoods of Louisiana families.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Latest Trump order sets tariffs hitting top seafood trading partners and billions worth of seafood

August 1, 2025 — U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order on 31 July codifying a new swath of tariffs on dozens of countries.

The order comes as an 1 August deadline, set after Trump threatened increased tariffs before pausing their implementation days later, passes. The new order further modifies tariff rates and implements a range of different tariffs on 69 countries and the European Union as a whole.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource