Seafood Industry Wins Key Exemptions as US Imposes 25% Tariff on Brazilian Goods

The Trump Administration's 25% Section 301 tariff on Brazilian goods takes effect July 22 — and the US seafood industry secured meaningful relief, with many of Brazil's most commercially significant seafood export categories landing on the exemption list.

USTR Ambassador Jamieson Greer announced the final action on July 15, following a yearlong investigation into Brazilian practices related to digital trade, anti-corruption enforcement, intellectual property, ethanol market access, and illegal deforestation. After receiving more than 360 written comments and holding two public hearings...

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...

Thai Union Launches Industry-First Recyclable Shelf-Stable Tuna Pouch Under John West Brand

Thai Union Group has launched what it claims is the seafood industry's first shelf-stable tuna product in a recyclable mono-material pouch, rolling it out under its John West brand in the UK and Ireland as a product line called Stir & Serve. The launch, developed in collaboration with packaging supplier Mondi, is now available at Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Asda, and Ocado, with further retailer expansion planned through 2026.

The innovation addresses a longstanding technical barrier in flexible seafood packaging. Conventional retort pouches...

Century Pacific Resumes Tuna and Coconut Operations After Philippines Earthquake

Century Pacific Food has begun restoring partial operations at its tuna and coconut manufacturing facilities in General Santos City, Philippines, following a 7.8 magnitude earthquake that forced a temporary shutdown of both plants.

The company said all employees and personnel were confirmed safe and that evacuation protocols were successfully carried out. Structural safety assessments cleared the way for a partial restart roughly a week after the quake, with full operations expected to return over the following one to two weeks as repairs are completed...

Supreme Crab & Seafood Debuts at Fancy Food Show With New Blue Swimming Crab Combo Stack

Supreme Crab & Seafood is stepping onto the Summer Fancy Food Show floor for the first time this year, using the New York event to introduce a product aimed squarely at one of seafood’s most persistent challenges: maximizing crab yield without sacrificing appearance.

The company, which has supplied Indonesian Blue Swimming Crab, Red Swimming Crab, tuna, and related seafood products since 2009, will exhibit June 28–30 at the Javits Center, Booth 4000. The focus of its debut is the Signature Catch Blue Swimming Crab Combo...

Russia Eyes Expansion of Tuna Fishery as Stocks Move Into Far Eastern Waters

Russia is placing growing emphasis on tuna fishing as it seeks to expand seafood supplies for both domestic consumers and export markets.

In a move that industry officials describe as a milestone, Russian fisheries authorities have approved commercial tuna fishing in waters off Sakhalin Island for the first time in the country's modern history.

The decision follows support from the Bureau of the Industry Council for Fisheries Forecasting under the Russian Federal Agency for Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo), which approved a recommended tuna...

CDC Report: Tuna and Reef Fish Behind Most US Seafood Toxin Outbreaks Over 13-Year Span

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that marine toxins were responsible for 402 foodborne disease outbreaks in the United States between 2011 and 2023, resulting in 1,280 illnesses, 96 hospitalizations, and one death, with tuna and tropical reef fish at the center of most cases.

Published in CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the analysis represents the first national summary of all foodborne outbreaks caused by marine toxins across that period. Scombroid toxin poisoning and ciguatoxin together accounted...

Dual Ocean Threats Put West Coast Fisheries, Marine Life on Notice

Two major ocean phenomena off the US West Coast will affect salmon, rockfish, squid, tuna, and crab fisheries, as well as whales, California sea lions, and seabirds, in the coming months. NOAA has tracked a large marine heatwave for a year now, and last week announced that a separate strong El Niño has been building and is expected to peak in the coming winter of 2026–2027.

The Pacific Ocean's El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is arguably the most influential climate driver on Earth, NOAA scientists say...

Korean Tuna Giant Sajo Expands Sustainability Push Beyond MSC Certification

South Korea's Sajo Industries is leveraging its Marine Stewardship Council certification achievement to advance broader sustainability initiatives across its global tuna operations, including pioneering electronic monitoring and human rights due diligence programs.

The company secured MSC certification for 28 longline vessels operating in Eastern and Western Pacific waters last year, marking the first Korean tuna operation to achieve the standard. CEO Chi-Gon Kim called the certification "a starting point for our work, not an end destination," emphasizing that environmental and social accountability form the foundation of the business...

Japan's April Marine Products Import Fell 6% in Volume, but Increased 3% in Value

According to trade statistics released by the Ministry of Finance on May 28th, April imports of marine products (preliminary figures, including fish and shellfish and their preparations, fishmeal, and seaweed) were down 6% year-on-year to 181,057 tons. While imports of fresh and frozen tuna increased, imports of salmon, trout, and shrimp decreased. The value of imports increased 3% to 184.977 billion yen ($1.16 billion).

According to a report by the Minato Shimbun, imports of fresh and frozen tuna increased...

Moxies Rolls Out Limited‑Time Sushi Menu for Summer

Canadian premium‑casual restaurant brand Moxies is welcoming the warmer months with a slate of fresh, limited‑time menu innovations designed for summer dining. Leading the seasonal rollout is Sushi by Moxies, now available at locations across Canada through September 6.

Created in collaboration with Chef Tom Jeon, the new sushi offerings blend classic Japanese inspiration with Moxies’ signature modern twist. The lineup includes:

• Miso Tuna Crispy Rice
• Salmon & Prawn Aburi Oshi
• Spicy Tuna Dynamite Roll

“Moxies is all about creating memorable dining experiences...

Sustainable Tuna Becomes Mainstream on UK Supermarket Shelves, MSC Report Finds

Sustainable tuna is rapidly becoming the standard choice for UK shoppers, with nearly half of all supermarket tuna products now carrying the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) ecolabel, according to new industry figures.

The MSC UK Tuna Shopper Report 2026 found that 49% of tuna products sold in UK supermarkets are MSC certified, a sharp rise from 18% in 2021. In volume terms, the shift is even larger, with 65% of all supermarket tuna sales now coming from MSC labelled products.

The report, released ahead...

Chicken of the Sea Achieves Full MSC Certification Across Retail Tuna Portfolio

Chicken of the Sea will complete Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification across its entire retail tuna product line by year's end, making it the first of the three major US tuna brands to achieve 100% MSC certification, the company announced May 4.

The milestone positions Chicken of the Sea ahead of competitors StarKist and Bumble Bee in sustainable sourcing commitments. MSC certification ensures that tuna comes from fisheries that demonstrate environmentally sustainable practices, minimal ecosystem impacts, and effective management...

Blueyou Launches Fair Trade Tuna Program in Maldives 

Ahead of World Tuna Day on May 2, Swiss seafood company Blueyou is expanding its work in the Maldives with the launch of a Fair Trade Certified™ tuna program in partnership with Fair Trade USA. The initiative aims to link sustainable fishing, marine restoration, and community development within a broader seafood supply chain effort.

The program will span 25 island communities across eight atolls and is expected to benefit about 30,000 people, including 2,500 tuna fishers and 500 women involved in sea cucumber farming tied...

FDA Issues Warning Letter to Ocean Group Over Multi-Facility Listeria Contamination

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning letter on March 3 to Los Angeles-based Ocean Group Inc. following inspections at four seafood processing facilities that revealed widespread Listeria monocytogenes contamination and serious sanitation violations.

The agency found the same strain of L. monocytogenes across Ocean Group's Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Dallas facilities between May and September 2025, with whole genome sequencing linking the pathogen to clinical isolates from ill people dating back to 2017. The contamination represents a "resident pathogen...

NOAA Rescinds Fishing Ban in Northeast Marine Monument, Restoring Commercial Access

On April 3, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) rescinded a regulation prohibiting commercial fishing within the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument boundaries under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act).

This action is intended to align fishing regulations with the proclamation President Trump signed on Feb. 6, which restored commercial fishing access to all 4,913 square miles of the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, located off the New England coast, according to Expana's report...

NOAA Lifts Suriname Seafood Import Ban After Drift Gillnet Fishery Reforms

NOAA Fisheries has reinstated a comparability finding for Suriname's drift gillnet fishery under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), removing an import prohibition that had been in effect since January 1, 2026 and restoring US market access for products harvested from the fishery. The finding, published in the Federal Register on June 22 (91 FR 37086), is valid through December 31, 2029.

The restoration of access matters commercially: Suriname shipped 11.6 million pounds of seafood to the US in 2025, valued at $40.2 million across 569 shipments, according...

Ecuador Launches Executive Board to Boost Tuna Sector Competitiveness

President Daniel Noboa's administration has launched Ecuador's first Productive Executive Board for the tuna sector, a move aimed at strengthening one of the country's most important seafood industries through closer public-private collaboration.

The initiative forms part of Ecuador's Productive Development Strategy and Competitiveness Policy, led by the Ministry of Production, Foreign Trade and Investment. The permanent forum will bring together industry, government and international partners to identify bottlenecks and implement practical solutions to improve productivity and competitiveness.

The inaugural meeting brought together representatives from across...

P.F. Chang’s Rolls Out “Summer in Tokyo,” Spotlighting Shareable Sushi and Tableside Drama

P.F. Chang’s is leaning into experience-driven dining this summer with "Summer in Tokyo," a limited-time program running June 25 through Sept. 15 that combines shareable sushi, theatrical presentation and influencer marketing.

At the center of the promotion is the new Sushi Boat, a tableside presentation delivered under a cloud of dry ice to create a memorable, social-ready moment. Designed for sharing, each boat includes chilled edamame, a California Roll, a Shrimp Tempura Roll and a choice of two additional...

Power Outages Disrupt Tuna Cutting Operations in the Philippines and Indonesia

Rolling power outages triggered by a broader regional energy crisis are creating headaches for tuna processors in two of the world's most important loining and cutting hubs, the Philippines and Indonesia.

In the Philippines, the government declared a state of national energy emergency earlier this year after the Strait of Hormuz disruption cut deeply into fuel supplies. The country imports roughly 98% of its oil from the Middle East, leaving it acutely exposed to the fallout from the Iran war...

Tetra Pak Introduces Industry‑First Carton Packaging for Shelf‑Stable Tuna

Tetra Pak is aiming to modernize the shelf‑stable tuna aisle with what it calls the industry’s first carton packaging for shelf‑stable tuna.

Developed in collaboration with Spanish seafood producer Jealsa, the tuna is packaged in Tetra Recart®, a paper‑based alternative to traditional metal cans. The format launched in Sweden last month with retailer Axfood and is now being made available to food producers and brands globally.

The move targets a category that has seen little packaging change despite steady...

Pokeworks Expands Limited-Time Menu Strategy with New High-Protein Surf & Turf Bowl

Pokeworks is tapping into growing consumer demand for protein-forward menu options with the launch of its new High-Protein Surf & Turf Bowl, available for a limited time across participating locations nationwide.

The fast-casual poke brand's latest limited-time offering combines premium ahi tuna and chicken breast in a single entrée designed to appeal to guests seeking higher-protein meal options without sacrificing flavor or customization. The bowl delivers 44 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber, pairing...

Winding Glass: Section 301 Tariffs Set to Permanently Twist Seafood Trade

The recent headline that section 301 seafood tariffs will reach $2.9 billion does not tell the industry story. The headline number is the result of an 11.4% blended tariff calculation applied to the value of goods shipped by 60 targeted countries to the US in 2025. That is one result of the Section 301 forced-labor duties proposed by the US Trade Representative on June 2. It is more than the roughly $2.2 billion importers paid last year, most of it under the IEEPA tariffs the Supreme...

ANFACO-CYTMA Raises Concerns Over Canned Tuna Liberalization in EU-Mexico Trade Deal

ANFACO-CYTMA is seeking clarification from European policymakers after canned tuna was included in the scope of full tariff liberalization under the newly modernized EU-Mexico trade agreement.

The agreement, signed on May 22, would remove tariffs on canned tuna after a seven-year transition period, subject to approval by the European Parliament and ratification by EU member states. The move has drawn concern from the seafood industry association, which argues that canned tuna has traditionally been considered a sensitive product within...

Bumble Bee Forced Labor Case Advances Despite Legal Setback for Indonesian Fishermen

A California federal court delivered a mixed ruling on May 27 in the human trafficking lawsuit against Bumble Bee Foods, granting part of the tuna company's request to reconsider an earlier decision while allowing the Indonesian fishermen's core claims to proceed.

Chief Judge Cynthia Bashant acknowledged that the court had mischaracterized a key Ninth Circuit precedent in her November 2025 ruling denying Bumble Bee's motion to dismiss. The court had incorrectly stated that the Ratha v. Phatthana Seafood case definitively "held" that trafficking...

European Tuna Industry Warns Against Indonesian Free Trade Deal Tariff Cuts

European fishing representatives are raising alarms over proposed tariff eliminations in the EU-Indonesia Free Trade Agreement, arguing that duty-free access for Indonesian tuna fillets could flood European markets with products from poorly regulated fisheries.

Europêche officials met with European Commission representatives for trade and maritime affairs on May 7 to voice concerns about the agreement's current draft, which would eliminate the existing 18% tariff on tuna fillets from Indonesia, the world's leading tuna producer.

The tariff removal targets what Europêche calls the "most strategic future-oriented segment...

Genova Premium Tuna Launches Mediterranean Tuna Bowls

Genova Premium Tuna is expanding its convenient seafood portfolio with the launch of Mediterranean Tuna Bowls, a new high-protein, grab-and-go offering aimed at consumers looking for quick meal and snack options.

The new line includes two varieties — Lentil & Grain and Bean Salad — each made with wild-caught, MSC-certified tuna and Mediterranean-inspired ingredients. The bowls contain 25 grams and 24 grams of protein, respectively, and are positioned around whole grains, beans, legumes, vegetables, healthy fats and fiber.

The launch is timed to...

Japan's Tuna and Skipjack Fishery Organizations Request Measures to Address Rising Fuel Prices

According to a report by the Minato Shimbun, the Skipjack and Tuna Fisheries Promotion Measures Council, comprised of three skipjack and tuna fisheries organizations, requested measures to address soaring fuel prices at a general meeting of the Liberal Democratic Party's Skipjack and Tuna Fisheries Promotion Parliamentary League (chaired by Shunichi Suzuki) held at the LDP headquarters on April 28th. The council explained that the worsening international situation has caused crude oil prices to soar, and that fuel prices for overseas and offshore refueling have risen...

Pokeworks Launches Poke Bombs as Growth Momentum Continues

Pokeworks, a fast-casual poke brand, is launching Poke Bombs, a new menu item featuring sweet inari tofu pockets filled with white rice, topped with fresh poke and finished with a soy glaze. The lineup spotlights the flavors of ahi tuna, salmon, surimi and lobster.

"We're seeing more guests looking for food that keeps up with their day," said Mike Wu, Co-Founder and Head of Concept at Pokeworks. "Poke Bombs make it easy to grab something fresh and satisfying, whether you're on your...

Politis Steak & Seafood Partners with Q Plus Foods to Expand Specialty Seafood Reach

Politis Steak & Seafood and Q Plus Foods have announced a strategic partnership that brings together two South Florida foodservice specialists. The deal pairs Politis’ operational scale and customer-service capabilities with Q Plus Foods’ specialty seafood sourcing program and global supplier relationships, expanding access to high-end seafood for chefs and operators across the region.

Q Plus Foods has built a reputation as one of South Florida’s premier specialty seafood purveyors, renowned for curating an exceptional selection of seafood from around the world. The company is...