ProChile Spotlights Chilean Seafood, Wine and Pisco in New York Push

ProChile, Chile’s export promotion agency under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will showcase the country’s food and beverage exports at two invitation-only events in New York City on Oct. 20, highlighting Chilean seafood, wine and pisco for US media and industry professionals.

The program includes a Chilean-inspired lunch and a wine and pisco masterclass designed to connect Chilean producers with key US buyers, influencers and trade participants. The lunch, prepared by Ignacia Valdés, executive chef of Tokyo Record Bar, will feature Chilean...

American Seafoods Flags Five Trends Set to Reshape Seafood in 2027

American Seafoods has outlined five trends it expects to shape the seafood industry in 2027, drawing on developments across its customer base and markets in North America, Europe and Asia.

The company supplies processors, distributors and foodservice customers across those regions. Its product portfolio includes frozen-at-sea Wild Alaska pollock and Pacific hake fillets, surimi, roe, fishmeal and fish oil, giving it visibility into demand trends across seafood markets and supply chains.

“When you look at the biggest conversations happening in food right now — protein...

Europêche Flags Gaps in EU Tuna trade Impact Assessments

Europêche is calling for more detailed analysis of the European Union’s long-distance tuna fleet in Sustainability Impact Assessments (SIAs) for major trade agreements, citing gaps in how tuna products and fleet-level impacts are evaluated.

The industry group’s review of SIAs covering Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Mexico and a 2026 draft assessment for Thailand identified what it described as recurring shortcomings, including inconsistent categorization of tuna products and a lack of quantitative modeling of the EU fleet’s revenues, employment and sourcing...

Section 301 Tariffs Loom Over Seafood Trade as Trump-Xi Summit Opens This Week

President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to meet in Washington this week, and trade attorneys say the summit could determine the timeline for a new round of Section 301 tariffs on Chinese goods, with seafood importers among those watching closely.

New Tariff Tied to "Excess Capacity" Case

The administration has been developing a separate tariff action targeting China and roughly 15 other economies under a Section 301 investigation into "structural excess capacity." The rate under consideration is around 7.5%, according...

Ecuador's Shrimp Industry Calls for Trade Retaliation Against Brazil Over Prolonged Import Ban

Ecuador's National Chamber of Aquaculture (CNA) is pressing the government to implement retaliatory trade measures against Brazil, nearly nine months after Brasília suspended imports of Ecuadorian shrimp over sanitary concerns with no resolution in sight.

Brazil banned shrimp imports from Ecuador effective December 9, 2024, citing unsanitary conditions identified during an inspection mission by its Ministry of Agriculture. Since then, the CNA says, market access has not been restored despite ongoing diplomatic engagement, leaving Ecuadorian exporters locked out of what had been a significant regional market...

Canada Pulls Seafood From Counter-Tariff List After Industry Pushback

Canada's Department of Finance has reversed course on one of the more contentious elements of its retaliatory tariff package, removing fish and seafood products from its list of US goods facing counter-tariffs, less than 24 hours after the measures were announced.

The department said it made the adjustment based on feedback from Canadian industries, citing a commitment to continually assess the effectiveness of its counter-tariff measures, with a primary focus on sectors that have themselves been targeted by US tariffs. Seafood, notably, has not been...

Russia Lifts Seafood Restrictions on Five Chilean Processing Facilities

Russia has lifted trade restrictions on five Chilean seafood processing facilities following an inspection of the country’s seafood supply chain, easing a hurdle for Chilean exporters seeking to maintain access to the Russian market.

The move comes as Russia sought to boost diversification of its seafood imports from Latin America in order to offset declining trade with Western countries. 

Last year, Russia warned Chile’s National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (SERNAPESCA) that Chilean seafood could face a ban from the Russian market over various...

Canada, US Shadow Chinese Snow Dragon Research Vessels in Alaskan Arctic 

Late last month a Royal Canadian Air Force CP-140 surveillance plane joined American Coast Guard and Army personnel shadowing two Chinese research vessels Xue Long and Xue Long 2 as they transited the northern Bering Sea. It was the first time this year that China’s well-equipped research vessels, known as Snow Dragon and Snow Dragon 2, entered the area.

Defense and monitoring capabilities are ramping up in both countries as awareness...

FAO Globefish Reports Firm European Seabass and Seabream Market Through 2025 as Trade Flows Shift

FAO Globefish’s latest report on trade flows in the European seabass and seabream markets indicates that the sector remained firm through 2025, supported by steady demand in the EU, constrained supply and higher production costs.

According to the report, stable demand across EU markets and shifting trade flows helped support higher export values, even as shipment volumes came under pressure. Supply constraints, along with higher feed and labor costs, kept prices elevated, lifting revenues for several exporting countries despite...

Newfoundland and Labrador Seafood Sector Valued at C$2.11bn in 2025

Newfoundland and Labrador’s seafood industry generated a combined market value of C$2.11 billion in 2025, with the wild fisheries and aquaculture sectors continuing to underpin the province’s economy, according to newly released data.

"Our seafood industry continues to be a major economic driver for Newfoundland and Labrador, supporting workers, families and communities throughout the province," said Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Loyola O’Driscoll. "Surpassing $2 billion in market value is a significant milestone that reflects the strength of our local fishing...

Ecuador's CNA Pushes for Technical Dialogue with China as Shrimp Export Restrictions Mount

Ecuador's National Chamber of Aquaculture (CNA) says it is permanently monitoring Chinese restrictions on Ecuadorian shrimp exporting companies and is backing efforts to establish a formal technical working group with Chinese authorities to resolve the situation, according to a statement released July 9.

The CNA was careful to frame the situation in measured terms. "This does not constitute a closure of the Chinese market," the organization stated. "Exports to that destination continue. However, the problem is serious and requires urgent attention, given the operational and commercial impact...

Seafood Industry Split at USTR Forced Labor Tariff Hearings as July 24 Deadline Looms

The US seafood industry arrived at this week's USTR Section 301 hearings divided — importers warning of a $2.86 billion annual tariff hit, domestic shrimp and catfish producers pushing for higher duties and outright import bans — with a hard statutory deadline adding urgency to the entire proceeding.

The three-day hearings, held July 7–9 at the US International Trade Commission, covered USTR's proposed forced labor tariffs on 60 economies: 10% on countries with at least partial forced labor import bans, including Canada, Mexico, Ecuador, and...

Nova Scotia Launches 3-Year Seafood Strategy with Innovation, Market Expansion Push

Nova Scotia unveiled its new Seafood Sector Strategy on June 24, aiming to help the province's seafood industry "adapt, compete and create more economic benefit" amid rising costs, labor shortages, and global trade uncertainty.

Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Kent Smith released the three-year strategy at Sea Star Seafoods in Clark's Harbour, highlighting the sector's critical role as Nova Scotia's top export industry. The province's seafood exports were valued at CAD 2.2 billion in 2025, supporting approximately 19,000 jobs...

SalmonChile Expands Mentorship Program While Advancing Export Diversification Strategy

SalmonChile is expanding efforts to strengthen Chile's salmon sector through a combination of workforce development, innovation support and export market diversification.

The industry association has launched the 2026 edition of its Salmon Mentor Network, a program designed to support entrepreneurship and professional development across Chile's salmon-producing regions. The latest edition brings in new strategic partners, including Volcanes and the Innovation Center of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, broadening the initiative after four previous editions.

The program reflects a growing focus within the Chilean salmon industry...

USMCA Is in Limbo. Here's What That Means for North American Seafood.

With a July 1 deadline looming, President Trump recently announced that the US will likely not reauthorize the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) for a full 16-year extension, opting instead for a rolling annual review process that trade analysts say could drag well into 2027.

"I would rather not have the agreement, but I may sign it," Trump said in France on June 17. "We do better as a country if we don't have ​an agreement...

USITC Extends Antidumping Order on Vietnamese Fish Fillets Through 2031

The US International Trade Commission determined that revoking the existing antidumping order on certain frozen fish fillets from Vietnam would likely lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury, extending the trade remedy for another five years.

The unanimous decision by Chair Amy A. Karpel and Commissioners David S. Johanson and Jason E. Kearns ensures the antidumping order will remain in place through 2031, maintaining import duties on Vietnamese fish fillet shipments.

The determination concludes the Commission's fourth five-year sunset review of the trade remedy, which was instituted...

Chile, India Advance Seafood Trade Agreement

Chile and India are working toward a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening trade and cooperation in fisheries and aquaculture, including the development of sanitary certification procedures for seafood exports.

Chile’s National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (Sernapesca) met with India’s competent health authority to compare control systems and advance work on a sanitary certificate format for fishery and aquaculture products exported to India.

“India is a strategic partner with significant economic development potential for our sector,” Sernapesca National Director Soledad Tapia said. “For this reason...

Canadian Food Manufacturers Face Rising Trade and Cost Pressures

Canada’s food and beverage manufacturers posted sales growth in the first half of 2026, but higher prices rather than stronger volumes drove the increase as tariffs, trade disruption and cautious consumer spending added pressure to margins.

Food and beverage manufacturing sales reached C$88.1 billion in the first half of 2026, up 4% from the same period last year, according to a mid-year update from Farm Credit Canada (FCC) Economics. Adjusted for prices, however, real sales were flat.

“The first half of 2026 shows the sector...

Norwegian Mackerel Returns to Japan as Saba Nouveau Season Begins

Fresh Norwegian mackerel will arrive in Japan on Sept. 11 for the sixth annual “Saba Nouveau” launch, a seasonal promotion highlighting Japan’s importance to Norway’s mackerel trade.

The first catch of the season will be flown to Tokyo through a partnership among the Norwegian Seafood Council, Japan Airlines and JALUX. The launch coincides with the Norway Seafood Festival, scheduled for Sept. 11–13 at Tokyo Solamachi’s Sky Arena.

Modeled on France’s Beaujolais Nouveau tradition, Saba Nouveau taps into Japan’s appreciation for hatsumono...

Supreme Crab & Seafood Adds Mark Laubner for Business Development and Culinary Support

Supreme Crab & Seafood, Inc. has added Mark Laubner to its team, where he will focus on business development and culinary support across the company’s customer channels.

Laubner brings experience from both sides of the foodservice business, with a background spanning food distribution sales, restaurant operations and culinary management. Most recently, he worked in food distribution sales and previously held an area management role with a national foodservice distributor. That experience gave him a strong understanding of customer negotiations, service...

Atlantic Mackerel’s Shifting Migration Brings Opportunity, Uncertainty

Atlantic mackerel’s once-reliable spring run north and fall return south has become less predictable since 2024, after a pulse of cold, fresh northern water moved onto the Northeast U.S. shelf.

Fishermen across the region report more mackerel in some areas, along with unusual appearances of white marlin, billfish, sand lance, Illex squid, striped bass, red drum and bluefish.

Researchers say the ocean conditions are highly unusual. Cold, fresh water entered the region in 2023 and kept conditions cooler through 2024 and 2025, a pattern...

Japan, China and Korea's Surimi Imports from Russia and the US Fell 12% in H1

According to reports by the Minato Shimbun—based on trade statistics from Japan's Ministry of Finance as well as trade data from China and South Korea—the combined volume of frozen Alaska pollock surimi (including frozen pollock meat other than filletsen for China) imported from the U.S. and Russia by these three nations in the first half of this year (January–June) totaled 73,786 metric tons, a 12% decrease year-on-year. Of this total, imports from the US...

Russia Plans to Expand its Fisheries Trade with Latin American States in Years to Come

Russia plans to expand its fisheries trade with Latin American states in years to come, paying a particular attention for the increase of fish exports to Brazil.

As a result of a recent visit of Ilya Shestakov, head of Rosrybolovstvo to Brazil, the latter has announced plans for a significant increase of exports of Russian pollock, cod, haddock, herring, surimi, and crab to Brazil, considering the market as one of the promising for Russian fisherman.

In addition to exports, during...

Vietnam Pangasius Exports Rise in 2025 as Brazil, EU and CPTPP Markets Drive Growth

Vietnam’s pangasius trade remained firm in 2025, with export value reaching nearly $2.2 billion, up 8% year on year (YOY), according to a new report from the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

The report showed Vietnam exported 906,000 tonnes of frozen pangasius to around 100 countries during the year, an increase of 3.4% from 2024 and 24.2% higher than 2023 levels.

While China and the US remained Vietnam’s most competitive markets, both recorded lower overall imports for the year...

Brett Doyle Sworn In as USITC Commissioner, Bringing USTR and Capitol Hill Experience

Brett Doyle, a Republican from Connecticut, was sworn in as a Commissioner of the US International Trade Commission (USITC), the agency announced Monday. He was nominated by President Trump on January 29, 2026, and confirmed by the US Senate on July 16, 2026. His term will expire December 16, 2030. 

The USITC is responsible for investigating imports alleged to injure domestic industries or violate US intellectual property rights. According to the agency, it provides independent analysis on tariffs, trade and...

US Seafood Sector Weighs in on China Tariff Framework

The US seafood industry is navigating a pivotal moment in its trade relationship with China, as the Trump Administration moves to formalize a new bilateral framework that could reshape tariff rates on a wide range of fish and shellfish products.

In June, USTR published a Federal Register notice seeking public comment on the scope of a proposed US-China Board of Trade, a managed trade mechanism announced during President Trump's May 2026 visit to Beijing. The Board is intended to identify "non-sensitive" goods on both sides eligible for reciprocal tariff...

EU Restores Zero-Duty Access for US Lobster, Expands Coverage to Processed Products

The European Union's Council of Ministers formally adopted two regulations on June 25 implementing the bloc's tariff commitments under the EU-US joint trade framework, restoring duty-free access for American lobster exports and opening new preferential market access for a range of US seafood products.

The most immediate development for the seafood industry is the reinstatement of the EU's zero-duty regime on US lobster imports, which had lapsed on July 31, 2025, when an earlier agreement — first struck between the US and EU in 2020...

Vietnam’s Ca Mau Province Formalizes Mud Crab Exports, Unlocking Access to Key Global Markets

Vietnam’s Ca Mau Province is taking a major step toward formalizing and scaling its mud crab exports, a move that could reshape supply chains for one of the country’s most valuable coastal species.

On June 16, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Ca Mau Province announced that the locality has established a farming area code for nearly 30,400 hectares of mud crab aquaculture and granted export facility codes to five enterprises eligible to export mud crab officially to markets...

Japan's Frozen Yellowtail Fillet Exports Rose 67% in April; up 73% to the US

According to trade statistics from the Ministry of Finance, exports of yellowtail fillets, both frozen and fresh (essentially farmed), increased significantly in April. Frozen exports rose 67% year-on-year (YOY) to 2,544 tons, with a value of 8.46 billion yen ($52.68 million), up 33%.

Fresh exports increased by 8% to 175 tons, totaling 558.79 million yen ($3.47 million). Exports to the US, the main destination, saw a 73% increase in frozen exports to 2,202 tons at 7.36 billion yen...

Indonesia Secures EU Aquaculture Market Re-entry After Regulatory Gap

Indonesia's Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) has confirmed the country is back on the European Union's authorized list of aquaculture exporters, closing a market access gap that had unsettled industry players and put a key export corridor at risk.

The re-entry was formalized through EU Commission Implementing Regulation No. 2026/1189, enacted June 4, 2026, after Indonesia had been left off the original list published under Regulation (EU) 2024/2598. The KKP's quality and supervision agency (Badan Mutu) said the outcome was the result of sustained engagement...