Saving Seafood

Maine lobster protected: Canada removes seafood from retaliatory tariffs

August 28, 2026 — Lobstermen in Maine breathed a sigh of relief on Thursday after Canada amended its retaliatory tariffs against the United States, removing seafood and fish products from the items that will face the new fee.

In an announcement late Wednesday night, Canada’s Department of Finance said the Canadian government was working with Canadian industries to assess the effectiveness of retaliatory tariffs. Based on feedback, the department said it made “select adjustments to protect against broader economic harms.”

Read the full article at WMTW

Canada announces retaliatory tariffs on US, targets fish and seafood

August 25, 2026 — The government of Canada has announced a sweeping set of retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods, including 25 percent duties on fish and seafood.

The U.S. and Canada had been undergoing trade talks after U.S. President Donald Trump continuously threatened Canada with tariffs since taking office in January 2025, including threats of 100 percent tariffs in February 2026 after Canada and China finalized a trade deal. Those trade talks had become rocky in recent months, with United States Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer announcing tariffs as high as 50 percent on Canadian goods in July, even as the two countries discuss the United States, Mexico, Canada agreement (USMCA) – a trade deal that Trump established in 2020.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

MARYLAND: Maryland Seeks Strategies for Slumping Seafood Sector

August 24, 2026 — Telling the stories of watermen and meeting consumers where they’re at emerged as priorities during a hearing for a new seafood marketing initiative in Maryland.

With consumption down and state regulations adding to the hurdles faced by seafood harvesters, Marylanders are making a coordinated effort to revive seafood sales both locally and abroad.

Earlier this year, the state Legislature tasked the Maryland Department of Agriculture with forming a seafood marketing workgroup to identify challenges and opportunities in the industry and develop an expanded state-led strategy.

Seafood industry representatives, state legislators and the secretaries of agriculture and natural resources make up the group.

The first of two public listening sessions for hearing stakeholders’ input took place Aug. 18 at the Ag Department office, with an introduction by Maryland Ag Secretary Kevin Atticks.

He said the state’s seafood industry is diverse and the workgroup needs stakeholder input to form a coherent plan.

“The market has completely changed in some respects and in other areas hasn’t changed in a century,” Atticks said.

Read the full article at Lancaster Farming

OREGON: Southern Oregon Coast seafood processors say tariffs are an old problem, not a new crisis

August 14, 2026 — A state report says President Donald Trump’s tariffs have hurt Oregon trade, but seafood processors on the South Coast say the effects on their industry are more complicated.

Oregon’s tariff analysis says the latest trade policies have disrupted exports and created uncertainty for businesses across the state. Oregon importers paid nearly $3 billion in tariffs between March and December 2025, while exports fell 17% over the year.

Lori Steele, executive director of the West Coast Seafood Processors Association, said tariffs are nothing new for the industry.

“There’s definitely concern about retaliatory tariffs, but these are coming in countries where we’ve been dealing with tariffs for a long time,” Steele said.

Read the full article at OPB

Legal group that won IEEPA lawsuits takes aim at latest Section 301 tariffs

July 28, 2026 — The legal team that successfully challenged U.S. President Donald Trump’s International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA)-backed tariffs is now pursuing a case against the administration’s latest Section 301 tariffs.

The Liberty Justice Center filed V.O.S. Selections, Inc. v. Trump in April 2025, just days after Trump announced his “Liberation Day” tariffs. That lawsuit ultimately ended up in a 6-3 ruling at the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this year that invalidated the tariffs and kicked off a lengthy refund process that is still ongoing.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

NOAA holds first-ever international cooperative research gathering

July 28, 2026 — NOAA Fisheries recently held what it is describing as its first-ever international cooperative research knowledge exchange with Scotland.

NOAA hosted 16 members of the Scottish Fishermen’s Association in a three-day event which involved tours of multiple ports, fishing vessels, and seafood processing facilities. The goal of the exchange was to share fisheries knowledge between the two organizations, which share management of multiple fisheries species in the Atlanic including Atlantic cod, Atlantic pollock, haddock, Atlantic mackerel, and Atlantic herring.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Alaska Airlines purchases four new cargo planes to strengthen freight capacity out of Alaska, Hawai’i

July 24, 2026 — Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.-based Alaska Airlines announced it entered into long-term lease agreements to add four additional 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter aircraft to its existing cargo fleet of five, increasing its fleet to nine total.

“Alaska Air Cargo has two very important goals: supporting our communities and customers and connecting them to the world,” Alaska Airlines Vice President of Cargo Ian Morgan said in a company release. “Expanding our cargo fleet with dedicated aircraft helps us accomplish both goals, opening up new international shipping opportunities for seafood and other commodities while making sure we can reliably ship time-sensitive goods that our communities need, such as medicine, household supplies, and groceries.”

Read the full article at SeaofoodSource

Trump administration launches sweeping tariffs on 59 countries, entire EU

July 24, 2026 — The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has launched sweeping tariffs on 59 different countries and the entire E.U. following Section 301 investigations.

The United States Trade Representative (USTR) began 60 investigations in March 2026 related to the “failure of various economies to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labor.” In June, the USTR said it was planning to target those countries with tariff rates of between 10 and 12.5 percent, depending on the commitments the countries made to oppose forced labor.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Trump fires new salvo in trade dispute with Canada amid ongoing USMCA discussions

July 21, 2026 — United States Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer announced new 50 percent tariffs on Canadian goods, continuing a trade dispute even as talks over the United States, Mexico, Canada agreement (USMCA) are ongoing.

Greer announced 50 percent tariffs on three types of goods: motor vehicles, alcohol, and dairy. The tariffs mark a new chapter in the U.S.’s ongoing dispute with Canada, as U.S. President Donald Trump has continuously threatened Canada with tariffs since taking office in January 2025, including threats of 100 percent tariffs in February 2026 after Canada and China finalized a trade deal.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Northeastern researchers want to help keep New England seafood from going to China and back

July 14, 2026 — The longfin squid that ends up on your plate as calamari may have been caught in Rhode Island, but it’s likely traveled to China and back again for processing before being served.

That example is illustrative of what’s known as the “seafood deficit,” a roughly $20 billion trade deficit due to the U.S. importing 80% to 90% of the seafood it consumes. For instance, more than 80% of squid caught in Rhode Island is frozen and shipped to China for processing, then refrozen and imported back to the United States, according to the Westerly Sun.

“It’s not because we don’t have seafood, it’s because we don’t have the capacity to process it,” said Taskin Padir, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Northeastern.

Read the full article at Northeastern Global News