The Winding Glass: Snow Crab Market Experiencing Real Shortfall

Much of the analysis of the snow crab market this spring focused on two key issues: how tariffs could impact sales, and whether economic weakness and consumer resistance would limit price increases.  

In July and August, prices rose rapidly, far more quickly than they did in 2024. A normal seasonal pattern in snow crab is that prices trend higher once the season has ended. This year, it was more extreme than many had expected. Was it speculation and artificial constriction of supply, or was it a genuine signal of market distress...

ANALYSIS: 2025 Coho Salmon Season Starts Strong but Dips Early

The 2025 coho season began a notable uptrend in week 27, with harvests rising sharply through week 31 and peaking soon after. Through the completed weeks, the year-to-date harvest stands at about 1.94 million fish in Alaska, up from last year’s roughly 1.47 million and tracking near the five-year average of 1.84 million for the same period. Peak volumes this year are softer than the two-year-ago spike, resulting in a thinner supply profile as the season progresses. Demand appears moderate to active, providing some support...

Red Lobster Touts "Smarter" SpendLESS Shrimp Promotion; Makes Seafood Boils Permanent Menu Item

Red Lobster, as it continues its road from bankruptcy, has introduced its SpendLESS Shrimp promotion, featuring a trio of shrimp options for $15.99.

Remember, many of the headlines surrounding Red Lobster's financial troubles prior to bankruptcy were linked to the infamous all-you-can-eat shrimp deals the brand offered. CEO Damola Adamolekun acknowledged the brand's noisy past around Endless Shrimp but positioned the program as a deliberate reboot.

"Since stepping into this role, I've gotten questions about Endless Shrimp – 'Is it coming back? 'What really...

Coffee, Cocoa, Tea, and More Added to List of Potential Tariff Adjustments for Aligned Partners

As of September 5, products like coffee, cocoa, and tea (along with hundreds more) may be exempt from US reciprocal tariffs if a country’s leaders make a deal with the US trade team, according to a White House fact sheet that specifies exemptions for trading partners that make substantial, reciprocal commitments to mitigate the national emergency-inducing trade-deficit.

To date, market participants watched as deals with the European Union and Indonesia provided a vague mention towards exemptions for “natural resources” like EU cork...

Gordon Ramsay and Home Chef Partner to Bring Meal Kits to Your Kitchen 

For anyone wanting to serve 5-star dinners to their family, a new partnership between iconic British chef Gordon Ramsay and the leading meals solution company Home Chef, now makes that possible. 

The pair’s six-month collaboration brings exclusive recipes inspired by Gordon's iconic cookbooks, restaurants, and family favorites to kitchens everywhere, available through online access or in grocery stores. 

"Cooking should be a joy, a shared experience that brings people together. With the right ingredients and...

NZ King Salmon Acquires $4.6M Cloudy Bay Site to Support Future Processing Needs

New Zealand King Salmon (NZK) announced it has purchased a NZD 8.14 million ($4.8 million) commercial facility located in Cloudy Bay Business Park in Blenheim, NZ.

The NZK Board said it was an “exciting step” in supporting NZK’s future processing requirements as it moves forward with its “Blue Endeavor” project.

“While the purchase of this site represents an investment for NZK’s future, there are several stage gates that need to be met before any firm development decisions can be made...

SE Alaska Red King Crab Season Opens November 1, Thanks to New Board of Fish Policy

Crab fishermen in Southeast Alaska will have an opportunity to begin harvesting highly sought-after red king crab this fall due to a significant policy shift in management approved by the state last February.  

The change allows a fishery to open under new management rules even if surveys show that the available biomass is less than the long-standing minimum threshold of 200,000 lbs.

The announcement from Alaska's Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) is for a regionwide guideline harvest level (GHL)...

ANALYSIS: Short-term Import Relief Fuels Groundfish Markets as Long-term Constraints Linger

Recent import data and market signals indicate that the groundfish sector is experiencing short-term rebounds amid longer-term supply constraints. Monthly flows of cod, pollock and haddock fillets rose in July, led by larger shipments from China and gains from Vietnam and Canada; however, year-to-date volumes remain below 2024 levels. At the same time, quota cuts, most notably a 25% reduction in the Norwegian...

ANALYSIS: Sea Lice Challenges and Temperature Trends in Norwegian Salmon Aquaculture

Sea lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) have long been a significant health challenge for the Atlantic salmon industry in Norway. For example, Benchmark Animal Health has estimated that sea lice cost the Norwegian aquaculture industry approximately NOK 6.6 billion (USD 660 million) annually. Sea lice feed on the skin, mucus, and blood of salmon, which negatively affects the fish’s capacity for osmoregulation, leading to problems with animal welfare and increased susceptibility to secondary infections...

Canada Unveils CAD 5 Billion Rescue Plan to Help Agriculture, Other Sectors Weather US Tariffs

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Sept. 5 unveiled a CAD 5 billion ($3.6 billion) support package and a suite of trade and industrial measures, including a "Buy Canadian" procurement policy, CAD 1 billion in expanded SME lending and CAD 75 million for AgriMarketing, aimed at shielding farmers, fishers and other sectors hit by new US tariffs while reskilling 50,000 workers for a more resilient domestic economy.

The agricultural and seafood industries landed in the spotlight. The federal government announced...

Royal Greenland Integrates Quin-Sea Fisheries; Managing Director Simon Jarding Exits Immediately

Royal Greenland has shaken up leadership at its Canadian seafood subsidiary, Quin-Sea Fisheries Ltd., as Simon Jarding will leave his position as managing director, effective immediately.

The company said on September 7 that Quin-Sea Fisheries would become fully integrated within the Royal Greenland Group.

“This integration will ensure closer alignment across the value chain and create synergies that strengthen profitability, benefit employees, and support the communities in which we operate,” the company said in a news update...

ODFW Shifting Fish Production to Minimize Salmon River Hatchery Funding Loss

Funding for routine fisheries work has been challenging at the federal level; states have had their own issues, too. In Oregon, that funding loss will result in ceasing operations at one of 30 state-run hatcheries. 

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s recent legislatively adopted budget did not include funding to continue the operation of Salmon River Hatchery. The cost of operating and maintaining the hatchery exceeded available revenue, but funding is just one of the issues facing the State's hatchery system...

Norwegian Embassy in Tokyo Promotes Farmed Atlantic Cod for Sashimi Consumption

According to a Minato Shimbun column, this year marks the 40th anniversary of Norway's "Project Japan," which cultivates the Japanese market for Norwegian salmon. It introduced the culture of eating raw salmon to Japan and remains widely recognized as a successful example of exports to Japan. Used in sushi, its deliciousness has spread worldwide. 

The Norwegian Embassy Fisheries Section will continue the project's story and know-how and propose new sushi toppings and sashimi to Japan. Recently, at the Osaka-Kansai Expo, it promoted farmed seafood products that...

GSA Releases Feed Mill Standard Issue 3.3

The Global Seafood Alliance (GSA) is pleased to announce the official release of the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) Feed Mill Standard Issue 3.3. The standard will become effective November 17, 2025, at which point all feed mills must apply to Issue 3.3.

The updates made to the standard are the result of more than a year of in-depth stakeholder engagement with the goal of modernizing the standard to meet marketplace expectations. The update focuses on the procurement, traceability, and reporting of three critical feed ingredients: fishmeal and fish oil, soy, and palm...

US Crab Imports Smash Records, but Fall Brings New Tests

Imports of snow and king crab through July 2025 are running at unprecedented levels, well ahead of expectations. Snow crab, driven by record shipments from Canada and Norway, has already surpassed the entire 2024 total, reaching 123.9 million pounds in the first seven months of the year. With only limited inventory left to ship, US imports are now projected to exceed the post-sanction high of 128.6 million pounds set in 2023.

King crab imports tell a similar story, though constrained by tight supply. Norwegian red king crab...

Hokkaido's Surimi Production in January-July Increased by 16% to 6,515 Tons

Hokkaido's cumulative frozen surimi production from January to July in 2025 is set to exceed the previous year's low level. According to member reports compiled by the National Surimi Manufacturers Association, production increased by 16% year-over-year to 6,515 tons. A major non-member manufacturer also says it's "up by about 10%."

The growth is being driven by pollock, with surimi production increasing 19% to 6,340 tons. Since March, there has been good fishing in the Sea of Okhotsk and Soya regions...

Tariff Talks 2025: Expana's Weekly Rundown #25

Expana’s global team of specialist reporters has been tracking every twist and turn in the fluid tariff situation.

Click to read "Tariff Talks 2025: Expana's Weekly Rundown #25."

This report allows the Expana community to see where key commodity markets stand as of this past week... Click the above PDF report, or keep scrolling to read in plain text.

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In the States, a federal appeals court ruled that US President Trump’s use of global tariffs exceeded presidential authority, but they remain active until at least October 14, 2025...