USTR Extends Section 301 Exclusions for 10 Seafood Tariff Lines, Keeps Chinese Vessel Fees on Hold

The Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) has pushed back two China-related Section 301 deadlines by two months. The extensions keep a set of seafood tariff exclusions in place and extend the suspension of fees on Chinese-built and Chinese-operated vessels.

In one Federal Register notice, USTR extended all 178 existing product exclusions from the Section 301 tariffs on Chinese imports. Ten of them cover seafood tariff lines. The exclusions had been set to expire today...

ANALYSIS: Atlantic Halibut Finds Seasonal Support, but Still Trails Recent Benchmarks

Atlantic halibut remains a volatile market, but it is still showing some familiar seasonal patterns. Prices are moving into the typical late-year upswing, a period when reduced fishing activity and a modest holiday demand lift often combine to support the market.

Even with that seasonal firming, the current market sits below both year-ago levels and the three-year average for this point in the calendar. That suggests the market is following a recognizable seasonal path, but from a lower base than in recent years. In other words, the direction is familiar even if the price level is...

Alaska Salmon Harvest Halves in 2026, but Ex-Vessel Value Rises 20%

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) has released preliminary figures for the 2026 statewide salmon season. The commercial harvest was 99 million salmon, down from 195 million in 2025, while the estimated ex-vessel value rose 20% to $648 million from $541 million.

The value gain came from higher prices. ADF&G says the 2026 statewide average ex-vessel price per pound for all salmon species improved considerably on 2025, offsetting the lower harvest volume...

BioMar Ecuador Inaugurates Shrimp Feed Production Expansion

BioMar Ecuador announced on November 9 that it has inaugurated the first phase of its production expansion project for shrimp feed.

BioMar Ecuador plans to increase production capacity from 300,000 to 410,000 tons during 2026 through operational improvements and a new production line, supplemented by external capacity arrangements, the company said.

"Ecuador is one of the most important shrimp markets globally, and we see strong potential for continued growth," said Henrik Aarestrup, VP LATAM Shrimp & Hatchery at BioMar.

BioMar Ecuador Managing Director Andres Rivadulla noted that the inauguration

USDA Seeks Wild Salmon Fillets and Shrimp for Federal Food Programs

The US Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service has issued a combined solicitation for wild frozen salmon fillets and peeled and deveined shrimp for federal food and nutrition programs. Solicitation 12-3J14-27-B-0091 was posted November 4, and bids are due November 17 at 1:00 p.m. Central Time. Awards will be announced by 5:00 p.m. Central Time on November 30...

Sri Lankan Blue Swimming Crab Fishery Earns MSC Certification After Decade of Work

The North-Western Sri Lanka blue swimming crab fishery has achieved Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification, making it the first fishery in the country to meet the MSC Fisheries Standard for environmental sustainability. The milestone follows more than a decade of work by fishing communities, exporters, government and other stakeholders to protect the country's blue swimming crab stocks.

The certification covers two units of assessment off the north-western coast: Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar. Small-scale fishers use bottom-set gillnets from traditional boats...

Umios 1H Operating Income Slides 23% on Aquaculture Write-Down, Japan Cost Pressure

Umios Corporation, the Japanese seafood and protein group formerly known as Maruha Nichiro, reported first-half operating income of ¥14.4 billion (about $91 million) for the six months ended Sept. 30. That was down 23.4% from a year earlier and slightly below the company's plan. An aquaculture inventory write-down and rising costs in Japan outweighed stronger overseas earnings...

Kura Sushi USA Posts Fiscal Q4 Comp Decline as Tariffs Weigh on Imported Ingredient Costs

Kura Sushi USA reported a 5.7% drop in fiscal fourth-quarter comparable restaurant sales on Nov. 5. The decline was driven by an 11.5% fall in traffic, partly offset by a 5.8% rise in price and mix.

Sales rose 12% to $88.9 million from $79.4 million as new restaurants opened. The company posted an operating loss of $0.6 million, versus operating income of $1.5 million a year earlier. Adjusted net income was $0.9 million...

ANALYSIS: Fewer Fish and Falling Biomass Reshape Norway’s Salmon Outlook 

Norwegian Atlantic salmon harvest increased 3.2% year over year (YOY) in September 2026, according to the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries. The harvest through September was 5.0% higher year-to-date (YTD). However, alive biomass has been declining since August and fell 2.9% YOY in September (Figure 1)...

Norway's Salmon Exports Hit Record, but US Sales Slip 11%

Norway's salmon exports reached a record value in October, even as shipments to the US fell. Salmon exports totaled 159,810 tonnes, worth NOK 13 billion, up 6% in value and 9% in volume from the previous year, according to the Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC). October set a record monthly salmon export value, NOK 264 million above September's record.

The US did not share in that growth. Norway's exports to the US fell 11% in October, to NOK 1.2 billion, driven by...

For Second Year in a Row, No Tanner Crab Season in Kodiak, Chignik or South Peninsula Districts

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) announced on Tuesday that, for the second year in a row, there will be no tanner crab (also called bairdi) fishery in the Kodiak, Chignik or South Peninsula districts in 2027.

The last year crab fishermen landed product from those areas was 2025. Surveys showed 560,000 pounds available for harvest in Kodiak and 210,000 pounds open in the South Peninsula. The Chignik area was closed...

UK Seafood Imports Reach £4.1 Billion as Ecuador and China Climb

The UK imported £4.1 billion of seafood in 2025, with imports rising 6% in value and 1% in volume to 1,180,000 tonnes, according to Seafish's Seafood in Numbers 2026. The UK remains a net buyer of seafood, and the report says it "buys the bulk of its seafood."

China is the largest source by volume, at 189,067 tonnes, up 4% from the previous report. Ecuador's imports reached 86,410 tonnes, up 23% year on year. Tuna is the UK's most imported species, at 235,120 tonnes...

Hokkaido Ikura Hits Record JPY 30,000+/kg as Chum Catch Halves

Amidst a historic low in the Hokkaido fall chum salmon catch, this season’s new ikura salmon caviar from Hokkaido has begun to reach the market. On November 2nd, soy-sauce-marinated ikura from the top-tier brand Marusa Sasaya Shoten, based in Kushiro, Hokkaido, appeared at markets in Tokyo Toyosu and Sapporo Markets, with wholesale prices set between 31,000 and 32,000 yen/kg ($195.62-201.93/kg), according to the Minato Shimbun...

Europêche Turns to Member States to Translate Fisheries Strategies into Concrete Policy Action

Europêche met yesterday with EU fisheries attachés to discuss the future of EU fisheries policy, including the 2028-2034 budget, 2027 fishing opportunities, trade and regulatory challenges. Europêche urged Member States to help turn repeated evaluations and policy discussions into practical legislative action.

The discussion highlighted that the Commission’s Vision for Fisheries 2040 lacks a clear pathway for delivery, with no defined timelines or concrete outcomes. Participants stressed that legislative work is missing to turn the Vision’s objectives...

Alaska Crab Takes Center Stage for the Holiday Season. Norway Sets Up for a Bigger 2027

All eyes turn to Alaska in November. As some vessels complete their Bristol Bay red king crab quotas and move on to Tanner crab, buyers have more domestic crab to work with for the holidays. The immediate question is how much consumers will buy at current prices. The next is how much inventory will carry into early 2027, when Norway’s larger quotas could bring additional king and snow crab to market...

Agrosuper Signs MOU to Buy Blumar's Salmon Business for Up to $540 Million

Agrosuper has put up to $540 million for Blumar's salmon business, but the deal remains a non-binding MOU subject to due diligence, regulatory clearance, and a shareholder vote.

Blumar's board approved the MOU on August 24, and the companies disclosed it to Chile's Financial Market Commission (CMF) on November 4, after the regulator asked Blumar about the deal, according to Diario Financiero...

US Seafood Production Volume and Value Dropped in 2024 But Ex-Vessel Price Rose

US fishermen landed 7.7 billion pounds (3.5 million metric tons) of edible and industrial species at ports in the 50 states in 2024, valued at $4.9 billion. That was a decrease of 775.3 million pounds, or 9.2%, and $177.8 million, or 3.6%, compared with 2023, according to the recently released Fisheries of the United States 2024 report from NOAA.

The report's introduction says the average ex-vessel price paid to fishermen in 2024 was 64 cents per pound, 4 cents more than in 2023...

AKVA Clears 90% Acceptance Threshold in Yanmar Takeover

Shareholders have tendered about 92% of AKVA group ASA's shares to Yanmar's offer, clearing the minimum acceptance condition. Completion still depends on regulatory approvals, and the offer period closes on 20 November.

Oslo-listed AKVA group said on Monday that its offeror, Pontos Bidco AS, has received acceptances for 33,584,769 shares, or about 92.06% of issued share capital and voting rights, subject to customary verification. The offer is NOK 161 per share, valuing the deal at NOK 5.9 billion ($611 million). Pontos Bidco is indirectly owned...

Oregon Congressional Delegation Celebrates USDA $12M Purchase of Whiting

Last week Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley led Oregon Congressional Delegation members—including Senator Ron Wyden and U.S. Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, Val Hoyle, Andrea Salinas, Maxine Dexter, and Janelle Bynum—to announce that after pressure from the delegation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will purchase Pacific whiting fillets and hazelnuts under the agency’s Section 32 program.

The purchases total $12 million for Pacific whiting fillets and $22 million for Oregon hazelnuts...

Russian Capelin Catches Face Steep Fall, Halibut Quota Rises

Russia may see a serious drop in capelin catches in the Barents Sea in the coming years, as the state of the stock remains complex. Konstantin Drevetnyak, general director of the Union of Fishing Producers of the Russian North, has raised serious concerns about future capelin catch trends in Russian waters. He said that both this year and next, only scientific catches of the species are permitted, with no commercial quota...

DFO Opens Consultation on Listing 12 Atlantic Salmon Populations Under Species at Risk Act

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is consulting on whether to list 12 Atlantic salmon populations under the Species at Risk Act (SARA). Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson announced the move Nov. 5.

The populations span Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. They include the Gaspé Peninsula, Outer Bay of Fundy, Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence and Cape Breton, and Southern Labrador populations...

Vietnam Shrimp Antidumping Duties Reshuffle as Commerce Finalizes Review

The US Department of Commerce has issued final results in the 20th administrative review of the antidumping order on frozen warmwater shrimp from Vietnam, covering entries from February 1, 2024, to January 31, 2025. Commerce found that sales were made below normal value and set margins of 10.71% for the Fimex Group, 6.36% for STAPIMEX and 7.59% for 17 separate-rate exporters. The notice is dated November 2 and was published in the Federal Register on November 6 (91 FR 70048)...

Expana's Weekly Top 10

From global commodity markets to restaurant dining rooms, developments across industries are reshaping the business landscape. Shifting trade relationships, supply constraints, market volatility and changing consumer demand are creating new challenges and opportunities, while companies across the supply chain continue to adapt and position themselves for growth.

Find archived recaps here.  

Agricultural Markets and Supply Chain Pressures

10. PODCAST: Episode 49 - Ammonia, CO2, and Sulfur: The Supply Chain Risks Facing Agrifood by Simon Duke

This episode of Agrifood for Thought examines tightening ammonia, CO2 and sulfur supplies and the potential impact...

Premium Brands Posts Record Q3 as Clearwater Volumes Fall 9%

Clearwater Seafoods' loss before shareholder-related expenses narrowed sharply in the third quarter, helped by the absence of a large 2025 write-down. Clearwater's revenue from continuing operations was C$103.2 million ($73.2 million), down from C$106.9 million a year earlier.

Sales volumes fell 9.3% on normal volatility in catch rates and the timing of sales, partly offset by higher selling prices for most species. Its loss before shareholder-related expenses was C$1.4 million, against C$39.9 million in the third quarter...

Norcod Posts First Profitable Quarter as Cod Biomass Hits Record

Norcod, the Norwegian cod farmer listed on Oslo's Euronext Growth market, reported its first profitable quarter in Q3 2026, with EBIT of NOK 23 million and net profit of NOK 8.5 million, according to its quarterly report. Operating revenues rose to NOK 89 million from NOK 37 million a year earlier.

CEO Christian Riber called the quarter a significant moment for Norcod, adding that it is "only the beginning of cod farming realizing its potential...

Chubut Delays Langostino Season as Survey Falls Short of Opening Thresholds

Chubut's shrimp (langostino) season will not open on schedule. The provincial Secretaría de Pesca postponed the start after an exploratory survey that began on October 26 did not show enough stock to support a commercial opening. Revista Puerto reports that the authority is holding off until a new two-day survey on November 10 in the Northern Zone, with a possible opening from November 12 depending on the results...

The Kingfish Company CEO Vincent Erenst Extends Tenure as CFO Plans Departure

The Kingfish Company announced Tuesday that CEO Vincent Erenst will remain in the role following a request from the company's Supervisory Board. Separately the company's Chief Financial Officer Jean-Charles Valette informed the board of his intentions in stepping down.

The Netherlands-based yellowtail kingfish producer said Erenst agreed to extend his tenure to provide leadership continuity as the company continues executing its business strategy and commercial and operational priorities.

“I am pleased to continue leading The Kingfish Company and appreciate...

ANALYSIS: September US Shrimp Imports Land Near Estimate, Up 12.1% YOY

Expana's by-type model for September US shrimp imports came in at 156.2 million lbs against a midpoint estimate of 158.8 million lbs, well inside the estimated range. The composition followed the pattern flagged in advance. Peeled printed near the upper bound of its range (83.3 million lbs against 84.6 million lbs) and shell-on near the lower bound (38.8 million lbs against 36.2 million lbs), and the two variances offset. The aggregate is the figure that clears through US warehouses, and at that level the estimate held...

LA, Long Beach Port Labor Talks Extended to Friday Amid Strike Concerns

The Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) and ILWU Local 26 have extended their contract through midnight Pacific Time Friday, Nov. 6, as negotiations continue to avert a potential disruption at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

The talks, involving approximately 250 watchmen, are continuing with assistance from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. Although the workers represent roughly 2% of the ILWU workforce, PMA says the terminals where they work handle about 85% of cargo at the Port of Long Beach and 33% at the...

Catfish Processor Delta Pride Joins USDA's Product of USA Label as Federal Programs Back Seafood

Delta Pride Catfish of Mississippi is the only seafood company among eight meat and poultry businesses that USDA says have adopted its voluntary Product of USA label. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the additions on October 30, saying more than 30 companies have now committed since the campaign launched earlier this year.

The label shows that products are "born, raised, harvested, and processed in the United States." Rollins framed it as a holiday-season consumer choice...