ANALYSIS: The Effect of US Tariffs on Food Packaging Materials

US President Donald Trump’s long-touted import tariff regime has started to take shape throughout February.

Trump’s administration has targeted China with tariffs of 10% on all imports and 25% import tariffs were applied to Canada and Mexico.

On February 13, Trump signed a memorandum ordering his advisers to create a plan to tackle the US trade deficit.

This followed an announcement on February 11 of the imposition of tariffs of 25% on all imports of aluminum and steel.

Expana analysts have assessed the impact on packaging materials...

Alaska House Leaders Oppose Governor’s Plan to Allow Fish Farms, Dunleavy Responds in Video

The debate over whether to lift a 35-year ban on fish farms in Alaska continued yesterday. On Friday, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy proposed HB111, which would keep the ban on salmon farming but allow Alaskans to raise other finfish, in closed water systems, potentially for sale. 

Yesterday, Rep. Louise Stutes, R-Kodiak, and House Speaker Bryce Edgmon, I-Dillingham, issued a written statement after reading the bill.

“Alaska’s commercial fishing industry, our coastal communities, and fishing families across the state are suffering through historically...

ANALYSIS: Shrimp Major Markets Dropped Imports, Europe More Resilient

The three largest shrimp markets, China, the US, and the EU & UK, slightly declined warm water shrimp imports in 2024 compared with 2023. According to customs data, total imports from these regions dropped by 3.1% y-o-y in volume and 6.8% in value. This represents 2,517,444 metric tons of shrimp, for a value just below $17.4 billion, and a value per metric ton at 6,910 USD/MT, also declining by 3.9% y-o-y. However, the situations are rather different per market...

UK’s Largest Retailer Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against Norwegian Salmon Companies

Tesco, the largest food retailer in the United Kingdom (UK), has filed an antitrust lawsuit against several Norwegian salmon producers, alleging the firms engaged in a price-fixing conspiracy.

The suit filed on February 18, lists eight salmon farmers as defendants, including Cermaq Group AS, Lerøy Seafood Group ASA, Scottish Sea Farms Limited, Bremnes Seashore AS, Grieg Seafood ASA, Grieg Seafood UK Limited, SalMar ASA, and Sjor AS. The suit also includes other retailers as claimants alongside Tesco, including Booker Limited and Budgens Stores...

Russian Salmon Fishermen to Pay Hefty Bill for Catch Rights Over Next Two Decades

Russia may face a decline in its salmon catch in the short term amid state plans to make domestic fishermen re-register their catch rights for the next two decades.

According to data from the All-Russian Association of Fish Producers (VARPE), there are 2,175 salmon fishing sites in Russia, while their lease terms range from 10 to 25 years and, in most cases, expire in 2027–2028. That means that fishermen's existing rights to use these sites should be extended already this year...

ANALYSIS: Overview of Supply and Price Trends in the US, European Pollock Markets

The pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus) markets across the world have displayed varying trends since the beginning of the year. While prices on the European pollock market are strong and on the rise, prices on the US market have not fluctuated. This analysis presents an overall view of both supply and price in the European and US markets.

US TAC and Current Landings

The Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) pollock is set at 1,375,000 metric tons...

Dunleavy Proposes New Legislation to Allow Finfish Farming in Alaska

Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy introduced legislation that, if passed, would allow finfish farming in inland, closed-system bodies of water. The move would end, at least in part, the state's 35-year ban on fish farming.

The bill, HB 111, doesn’t allow salmon farming and prohibits the cultivation of pink, chum, sockeye, coho, chinook, and Atlantic salmon. It also requires that all finfish be sterilized so they wouldn’t be able to reproduce if an escape occurred.

Furthermore, the legislation requires any potential farm to be enclosed within a natural...

Canada Sees 582% Sales Increase for MSC Labeled Tuna

Recently, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) released its first-ever Canada Tuna Report, illustrating immense growth in Canada’s demand and sales for MSC-certified tuna products over the last two years.

Most significantly, the North American country saw a 582% increase in tuna volume sold between 2022 and 2024 — 99.5% of which was sold in cans. This volume grew from 1,907 MT in 2022 to more than 13,000 MT in 2024.

According to the MSC, tuna represents 60% of all MSC labeled seafood sold by weight in Canada, while tuna represents...

Blumar, Multi X, and Camanchaca Join S&P Global’s Sustainability Yearbook 2025

Recently, Chilean salmon producers Blumar S.A. (Blumar), Multiexport Foods S.A. (Multi X), and Salmones Camanchaca S.A. (Camanchaca) were recognized among the world’s most sustainable companies in the S&P Global’s Sustainability Yearbook 2025.

Of the 7,690 companies that were assessed for the yearbook, S&P only included 780, and among those, only 26 of the companies selected represent the food sector.

Blumar, Multi X, and Camanchaca are all partners of Chilean salmon coalition SalmonChile and together represent the only Chilean companies that were recognized in S&P’s Yearbook...

Trump: Canada, Mexico Tariffs 'Will Go Forward'; Reciprocal Tariffs On Schedule

President Donald Trump announced Monday that tariffs on Canada and Mexico will take effect next month, ending a monthlong delay set to expire next week. Speaking at a White House news conference alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, Trump emphasized that the tariffs were moving forward as planned.

“We’re on time with the tariffs, and it seems like that’s moving along very rapidly,” he said, according to the Associated Press.

He also reaffirmed that his reciprocal tariff plan remains on track to begin as early as April...

National Food Distributor Harvest Sherwood to Cease Operations Amid Rising Costs

National food distributor Harvest Sherwood is shutting down its operations across several states, resulting in 1,500 layoffs. The company distributes products throughout protein categories, including beef, poultry, pork, and seafood.

Harvest Sherwood Food Distributors, headquartered in Detroit, issued WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act) notices in Michigan, Florida, and Oregon, per the Detroit Free Press. Notices were also issued in Ohio, according to local media reports.

One notice filed in Ohio stated that employees would remain on payroll and benefits through April 21, 2025...

NMFS Uses Early Genetic Detection Methods for Bitter Crab Disease Amid Low Bering Sea Crab Stocks

Amid unprecedented low abundance levels for Tanner crab and snow crab in the Bering Sea, scientists from the National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS, or NOAA Fisheries) have been utilizing sensitive genetic detection methods to establish earlier detection of bitter crab disease.

The ailment, which has recently impacted the Bering Sea’s historically large Tanner crab and snow crab fisheries, is caused by microscopic parasites that infect crabs, leading to increased crab mortality rates. Infected crabs are known to taste bitter, hence the name of the disease.

NOAA scientists were able to use these...

Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation and United Fishermen of Alaska Host Legislative Reception

On February 18, 2025, the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation (AFDF) partnered with the United Fishermen of Alaska (UFA) to host the Legislative Reception in Juneau, Alaska.

Seafood industry leaders, policymakers, regional stakeholders, and community members came together for the event, which celebrated the Alaskan seafood sector with seafood tastings and conversations amongst key industry players.

Several winning products from the 2024 Alaska Symphony of Seafood competition were featured at the event, including Feble Fish Company’s Teriyaki Salmon Jerky (Best New Retail Product of 2024), Alaskan Leader Seafoods’ Miso Black Cod Deli Kits (Best New Foodservice Product of 2024), and Uncharted Distillery’s Holdfast

Scottish Salmon Exports Increased 45% in 2024, Reaching Record High of £844 million

Scottish salmon was exported to 48 countries in 2024, with the total export value reaching an all-time high of £844 million. This marks a 45% increase from 2023 to 2024 and a record-breaking increase of £226 million compared to Scotland’s 2019 record of £618 million.

“These exceptional figures clearly demonstrate the surging global demand for Scottish salmon, which is rightly recognized as a premium high-quality product,” said Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes.

According to HMRC figures published on February 13...

Russian Snow Crab Weakens to $19 Per Kilo at Busan’s 4th Auction

On February 7, 2025, the fourth auction of frozen Russian Opilio snow crab in the 2024-25 season was held in Busan, South Korea, during which 41 tons of air-blast frozen boiled sections (single price for L-4L sizes) were up for bid. One Japanese trading company won the entire quantity, with the winning bid (EXW Busan) amounting to $19/kg, 10% lower than last year's third auction held in late July, reported Minato Shimbun.

As with the first three auctions, the fishing vessel Atka...

US Coast Guard Details Two Alien Crewmembers During Routine Inspection off Massachusetts Coast

On Thursday, February 20, 2025, U.S. Coast Guard crews detained two alien crewmembers while performing a routine vessel inspection off the Massachusetts coast at approximately 12:30 p.m.

The detainment occurred after a boarding team from the Coast Guard Cutter Warren Deyampert boarded a commercial fishing vessel and discovered that two of the six crewmembers aboard were illegally present in the U.S., thus violating the 75/25 rule under 46 U.S.C. 8103, which requires at least 75% of a vessel’s crew to be U.S. citizens...

Lineage and Port of New Orleans Expand Import Inspection Services

Earlier this month, the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) and Lineage, Inc. (Lineage), the world’s largest refrigerated-storage company, announced the addition of new cold storage inspection services at Port NOLA.

Among the new services are in-house USDA import inspections, which will specialize in streamlined, on-site USDA inspection services for imported proteins. Inspections will take place at Lineage’s Jourdan Road cold storage facility in New Orleans East, located along the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal.

The new services will take place alongside Lineage’s existing USDA export inspection services...