Saving Seafood

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.

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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.

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Trump hits Brazil with 25 percent tariffs, but seafood manages to win exceptions

July 16, 2026 — The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has announced new tariffs on Brazil, with several exceptions for certain seafood items.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced new 25 percent tariffs on imports from Brazil following a Section 301 investigation. The USTR said the tariff action follows an investigation it started in 2025, just days after Trump threatened 50 percent tariffs on the country claiming it was treating former Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro unfairly. USTR Ambassador Jamieson Greer said at the time the country’s unfair trade practices were documented in the National Trade Estimate Report, and a recent release by the USTR said it identified several practices by Brazil that gave it an unfair advantage over U.S. businesses.

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Trump administration continuing to resist issuing tariff refunds

June 5, 2026 — The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has continued to file oppositions to tariff refunds in court.

The Trump administration has moved to prevent the testimony of Rodney S. Scott, a top customs official, from being required to testify at a court hearing related to the tariff refund process. A federal court ruled on 4 June that the administration’s motion for a stay on Scott’s testimony was warranted.

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Trump’s trade wars forcing companies to weigh US value proposition

April 22, 2026 — U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to restructure global trade – and his inability to do so cleanly and consistently – has created uncertainty in the seafood sector and hurt trade between the U.S. and the E.U., according to seafood industry stakeholders speaking at a panel at the 2026 Seafood Expo Global (SEG).

“No matter what you think of the policy overall, the up and down nature of it and the uncertainty that that generates is crippling for businesses that I represent, and I think for even domestic U.S. producers it creates uncertainty and doubt,” National Fisheries Institute Executive Vice President for Government Affairs and General Counsel Robert DeHaan said. “It’s harder to innovate. It’s harder to expand your payroll. It’s harder to know what’s going to happen in six [or] nine months. This sector of farmed and wild [fish] is very tough in good conditions, and introducing this level of uncertainty about the policy execution process creates uncertainty and makes the U.S. market less appealing.”

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US lawmakers ask government to provide financial aid for shellfish sector

February 19, 2026 — A group of U.S. lawmakers has asked the federal government to provide financial support to the nation’s struggling shellfish sector, which they claimed has been hit hard by increased tariffs.

“Tariffs and retaliatory tariffs have led to higher consumer prices, altered supply chains, reduced availability, higher equipment costs, and market instability for farmers of all kinds, including shellfish growers,” the lawmakers said in the joint letter dated 6 February. “In the last year, our strongest trade partners have launched retaliatory tariffs against the United States, causing uncertainty and hurting geoduck, oyster, and other shellfish industries many of our communities rely on as lifelines.”

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Trump admin confirms trade deal with India, cutting tariffs to 18 percent

February 9, 2026 — U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order following through on a trade deal with India he announced in early February, reducing U.S. tariffs on the country to 18 percent.

Trump first announced the new trade deal with India on 2 February, which he said came after a discussion with India Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Just four days later on 6 February, he formalized the deal with an executive order, cutting reciprocal tariffs on the country to 18 percent from the previous 25 percent and eliminating a separate 25 percent ad valorem tariff implemented in August 2025 against India over its purchases of Russian oil.

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