Saving Seafood

China hits Canadian seafood items, including lobster and crab, with 25 percent tariff

March 10, 2025 — The government of China announced it is imposing 25 percent tariffs on an array of seafood items from Canada, in what it said was a response to Canadian tariffs on certain goods from China.

China’s Ministry of Finance announced the new tariffs on 8 March, and said the new tariffs are in response to a 100 percent tariff on electric vehicles and a 25 percent tariff on steel and aluminum products from China. Canada announced the set of tariffs in October 2024, and said it plans to tariff a range of goods including rapeseed oil, pork, and seafood.

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US retail sales fall slightly amid tariff, inflation concerns

March 10, 2025 — Overall U.S. retail and grocery sales fell slightly month-over-month in February as consumer concern about tariffs and food inflation tightened spending, but despite the drop sales still increased year-over-year, according to new data.

Sales at grocery and beverage stores fell 0.07 percent from January to February, but soared 4.08 percent year over year unadjusted, according to the National Retail Federation’s CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor. Total retail sales, excluding automobiles and gasoline, also declined 0.22 percent seasonally adjusted in February, but inclined 3.38 percent unadjusted year over year.

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Trump delays tariffs on swath of Canadian goods, including seafood

March 8, 2025 — U.S. President Donald Trump suspended planned 25 percent tariffs on Canada on 6 March, building on an earlier-announced suspension of tariffs on Mexico.

Trump first announced plans to implement tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods in November 2024, and followed through on the promise in February 2025. Since that initial order, Trump delayed tariffs by one month, before letting them take effect for just two days before the newest delay.

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Trump delays tariffs on Mexico for a month after just two days in force

March 6, 2025 — U.S. President Donald Trump announced in a post on his Truth Social social media platform that he has agreed to delay 25 percent tariffs on Mexican goods for another month.

The move comes just two days after the Trump administration implemented 25 percent tariffs on Mexico and Canada, along with an additional 10 percent tariff on China on 4 March. Those tariffs were themselves implemented after a one-month delay from the original order in early February.

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US tariffs worry Chinese seafood exporters aiming to target American consumers

March 5, 2025 — U.S. President Donald Trump instituted an additional 10 percent tariff on Chinese goods on 4 March, following the 10 percent he announced in February, meaning certain goods from China are now subject to a 45 percent import tariff.

The tariffs are causing uncertainty for Chinese seafood firms attempting to find or expand their U.S. customer base, some of which are making the trip from China to the upcoming Seafood Expo North America, which is taking place in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A., from 16 to 18 March.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Trump implements new tariffs on Canada, Mexico with both countries planning retaliation

March 4, 2025 — U.S. President Donald Trump followed through on his original order to institute 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico, launching tariffs on goods from both countries on 4 March after a one-month pause.

In addition to the 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico, Trump also instituted an additional 10 percent tariff on Chinese goods on top of the 10 percent he announced in February, meaning certain goods from China are now subject to a 45 percent import tariff.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

As Trump escalates trade war, analysts tell shippers to expect the unexpected

February 14, 2025 — U.S. president Donald Trump announced that he would impose reciprocal tariffs on the nation’s trading partners on 13 February, prompting numerous trade experts to predict higher prices for American consumers. 

Shortly after Trump announced the measures, Capital Economics, a global financial analytics firm, told the New York Times that it “predicts that the effective tariff rate on all U.S. imports could rise from less than 3 percent now to around 20 percent.” The effective tariff rate is the percentage of the price of imported goods that goes toward paying tariffs. 

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Some in seafood industry see Trump as fishermen’s friend, but tariffs could make for pricier fish

December 13, 2024 — The incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump is likely to bring big changes for one of the oldest sectors of the U.S. economy — seafood — and some in the industry believe the returning president will be more responsive to its needs.

Economic analysts paint a more complicated picture, as they fear Trump’s pending trade hostilities with major trading partners Canada and China could make an already pricy kind of protein more expensive to consumers. Conservationists also fear Trump’s emphasis on government deregulation could jeopardize fish stocks that are already in peril.

Read the full article at WNKY

Experts predict US container ports will see a surge in imports, higher prices through spring 2026

December 11, 2024 — Experts from the National Retail Federation (NRF), Hackett Associates, and container price tracking service Container XChange are predicting a surge in imports and price hikes into major U.S. container ports that are likely to last at least a year, citing President-elect Trump’s proposed tariffs and a possible resumption of strikes along the East and Gulf coasts as primary reasons. 

“Either a strike or new tariffs would be a blow to the economy, and retailers are doing what they can to avoid the impact of either for as long as they can,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said in a release. “We hope that both can be avoided, but bringing in cargo early is a prudent step to mitigating the impact on our industry, consumers, and the nation’s economy.”

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Trump’s tariff proposal on goods from Canada, Mexico, and China would affect over USD 5.6 billion in seafood

November 27, 2024 — U.S. President-elect Donald Trump proposed big hikes in tariffs on all goods from Canada, Mexico, and China on 25 November in a move that would affect one-fifth of all U.S. seafood imports by value.

Trump, posting on his Truth Social platform, said he would charge tariffs of 25 percent on all products from Mexico and Canada and 10 percent tariffs on goods from China – above any existing tariffs.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource