ANALYSIS: Tariff Structure Drives Upward Pressure Across US Squid Complex

The US squid market is currently full steady to firm and has maintained this undertone for much of the year. Prices across the complex have either risen or remained unchanged, with no major categories experiencing downward pressure.

Much of this upward pricing pressure can be attributed to the challenging tariff environment, which continues to present obstacles for industry stakeholders. Currently, no origin of imported product enjoys tariff exemption, with Argentina and Peru facing 10% duties, while New Zealand product is subject to 15% tariffs...

ANALYSIS: Vietnam Surges Ahead in China’s CNY 1.84 Billion Lobster Imports

China is a pivotal player in the global lobster market, and shifts in its purchasing patterns often have considerable consequences for exporting countries. Since 2024, the supplier landscape for live and frozen lobster into China has changed markedly. The top spot historically held by Canada has been taken by Vietnam, while Canada now sits in second place, just ahead of Australia...

ANALYSIS: US Shrimp Imports Decline Again as Peeled Volumes Reach Record Highs

Official US shrimp import figures for September closely matched our estimates, with total imports exactly measuring 134.9 million pounds. September marked the second consecutive month with a year-over-year decline in imports, accelerating to an 11% decrease compared to the same month in 2024. Declines in shipments from India, Vietnam, and Indonesia drove much of this monthly contraction. Notably, peeled shrimp imports reached record year-to-date levels, exceeding prior highs from 2021 and 2022. Ecuador has marginally increased peeled shipments...

Seafood Connection to Rebrand as Umios Europe in 2026 Following Maruha Nichiro Acquisition

European seafood supplier Seafood Connection will rebrand as Umios Europe, effective April 1, 2026.

Last week, Seafood Connection was fully acquired by Japanese seafood giant Maruha Nichiro, which itself announced a rebranding to Umios earlier in 2025, as Expana covered.

Seafood Connection said the new name was an “important step” to align its group with the Maruha Nichiro parent company and its 176 sister companies worldwide.

“The new name reflects not only stronger unity within the group, but also a forward-looking vision of sustainability...

BBRSDA Announces Election Result Winners Morgan, Guffey, and Coupchiak

Yesterday, the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association (BBRSDA) announced official results of the 2025 Board of Directors Election for three new directors: Doug Morgan was re-elected to his Alaska seat, Sean Guffey for the Outside seat, and Casey Coupchiak, a Yup’ik fisher from Togiak and a third-generation Bristol Bay permit holder, won the Open Seat. Coupchiak’s family legacy of fishing in Bristol Bay stretches back millennia. For 16 years, she has commercial fished her family's drift permit.

Doug Morgan held the office of Secretary-Treasurer most recently...

ANALYSIS: Downward Pressure Persists Across US Shrimp as VA–HLSO Spread Nears Resistance

US shrimp prices remain under downward pressure across major forms. HLSO and HOSO are weakest, while peeled shows continued but smaller declines. The price spread between peeled and headless shrimp has widened toward a historical resistance level, consistent with cross‑price elasticity signals that demand is shifting toward peeled due to perceived value, though the spread could stabilize or compress if conditions normalize.

The data imply a broader pattern: downward pressure across all categories...

Panel Picks Diana Evans as New Executive Director at the North Pacific Fishery Management Council

Yesterday, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council announced its selection of Diana Evans, former deputy Executive Director, to the top job of the group that manages an aggregate of two dozen fisheries, including the lucrative pollock fishery in the Bering Sea.

Evans is the first woman and the only the fifth Executive Director to lead the Council. Her appointment followed an executive search across the nation following the announcement from former ED Dave Witherall last September...

Hokkaido Fall Chum Catch Unprecedentedly Low at Under 15,000 Tons, Ikura Prices Double

This year's Hokkaido fall chum salmon fishery came to an end at the end of November. According to the Hokkaido Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations' Daily Report, the cumulative catch for this fishing season was 14,465 tons, down 67% from the previous season. While this is a preliminary figure, it ended with the poorest catch on record.

According to a report in the Minato Shimbun, Hokkaido fall chum fishery peaked at 206,000 tons in 2003, and remained at around 150,000 tons in...

MEATZY Launches Subscription Service for Premium Meat and Seafood Delivery

MEATZY, an innovative subscription service delivering high-quality meat directly to customers' doors, has officially launched.

Developed by industry veterans with experience in supplying proteins to over 100 luxury resorts and leading chefs, MEATZY promises an exceptional culinary experience with premium beef, chicken, pork, and seafood at consistent prices.

"Protein prices keep climbing, and families are paying more for meat that's often lower quality than they realize," said the co-founder, Jorge Arevalo. "We built MEATZY to give people access to chef-grade protein...

Huihai Group Launches Aqua Feed Factory in Jiangsu

Chinese agricultural firm the Huihai Group opened a new aqua feed manufacturing facility in Jiangsu Province on December 10, it said in an announcement.

The facility, located in Anfeng Town, Xinghua City, features five production lines with an annual capacity of 300,000 tons, focusing on premium feeds for crabs, prawns, and fish.

The company said it has already generated more than 40,000 tons in feed orders with deposits exceeding CNY 4.6 million ($632,000).

ANALYSIS: What a Record-Low Spread in North American Lobster Tail Prices Says About Market Behavior

Over the past year, the North American lobster tail market has experienced a significant shift, driven by pronounced buyer preference for smaller tails and mounting pressure to manage unit costs. That shift is clearly captured in the narrowing price spread between the smallest and largest sizes. Historically, the delta between the smallest 2–3 oz and large 20–24 oz tails has averaged $7.335/lb and stretched as wide as $17.125/lb...

Retail Sales Veteran Susan Minck Joins Heartland Catfish to Expand Category Growth

Mississippi-based catfish farmer Heartland Catfish Company hired Susan T. Minck as its Director of Retail Sales, the company announced on December 9.

Heartland said Minck has a strong track record of working with top retailers, including Walmart, Kroger, Publix, Target, ALDI and Albertsons. The company highlighted her reputation for improving customer relationships and working with teams across organizations to achieve success.

“Adding Susan to our sales team allows a more focused approach in managing our retail customer portfolio and achieving goals of expanding our retail customer...

Spain Allocates an Additional 9 Tons of Red Shrimp to the Mediterranean Trawling Fleet

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has published today in the Official State Gazette a resolution from the General Secretariat of Fisheries assigning an additional quota of nine tons of red shrimp to the Mediterranean trawling fleet, resulting from an exchange with France. 

This measure increases the catch limits per vessel for 2025 and represents significant support for the sector in one of the most important commercial periods of the year, the Christmas campaign, when red shrimp reaches a prominent value in the markets...

Acosta Group Unveils 2026 Top Consumer Predictions  

Acosta Group has unveiled its four consumer predictions for 2026, highlighting the increasing importance of personalization and innovation for achieving success and relevance.

Colin Stewart, EVP of Business Intelligence at Acosta Group, noted, "Technology and evolving consumer lifestyles continue to reshape the shopping experience, as do the expectations, priorities, and values driving purchases. This creates fresh opportunities for brands, retailers, and foodservice operators to predict consumer needs and drive excitement and trust," based on comprehensive research conducted with the company's 40,000-member shopper community.

The predictions include:

• Shoppers turning to...

USTR Sets Phased Tariffs on Non-Compliant Imports from Nicaragua; Beef and Seafood Affected?

The office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) will impose phased tariffs on Nicaraguan goods that do not meet the standards for the Dominican Republic–Central America–United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR), following a Section 301 determination that Nicaragua’s acts and policies on labor rights, human rights, and the rule of law are unreasonable and burden or restrict US commerce, according to a press release...

Oxzo Secures $25 Million Investment from S2G Driving Global Expansion 

Oxzo announced a strategic partnership with S2G Investments, which includes a $25 million investment aimed at scaling solutions across the energy, food and agriculture, and ocean sectors. This agreement builds on recent investments from Fiordo Austral and Altis, further positioning Oxzo for global expansion.

"We are proud to welcome S2G as an investment partner" said Rafael Ariztia, chairman of Fiordo Austral and Oxzo. "Their participation aligns perfectly with Oxzo’s strategy to grow in international markets and represents a great opportunity, granting access to highly qualified teams...

Snow Crab Collapse Linked to Energetic Limits Amid Marine Heatwave, NOAA Study Finds

NOAA Fisheries, also known as the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), highlighted a recent study focused on the massive collapse of the snow crab population in the eastern Bering Sea. Led by NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center biologist Erin Fedewa, the research sought to understand the causes of the 2018-2019 mortality event and the species’ potential for recovery.

A key aspect of the study was measuring snow crab energy reserves during and after the marine heatwave. Using biochemical assays of lipids and proteins in muscle and...