ANALYSIS: Live Lobster Market Faces Uncertainty in the Wake of Tariffs

Another week brings yet another twist in the ongoing saga of tariff developments. As we begin to navigate through the second full week of March, there has been a temporary halt to the Trump 25% tariff on Mexican and Canadian goods, with a pause in effect until April 2. Amidst this uncertainty, a new development has emerged: China has announced the imposition of a 25% tariff on Canadian lobster, set to take effect on March 20. This kind of unpredictability can wreak havoc on markets, causing disruptions...

ANALYSIS: Atlantic Sea Scallop Market Continues to Face Supply Issues and High Prices in 2025

The domestic Atlantic sea scallop market in 2024 was initially projected to see a 2.4-million-pound increase over 2023. However, with overall landings remaining sluggish and larger sizes in short supply, it appears increasingly unlikely that this target will be met as the season nears its end. Persistently high prices are beginning to weigh more heavily on demand, particularly for fresh domestic scallops, which remain at historically elevated levels. While some minor price declines were noted following the holiday season due to...

US Benefits from EU Decision to Restrict Russian Imports of Pollock Fillets

The U.S. has become the main beneficiary of the European Union’s (EU) decision to restrict imports of Russian pollock fillets via imposition of a 13.7% duty on all Russian supplies.

As Alexey Buglak, head of the Russian Pollock Association (ADM) stated in an interview with the Russian RBC business paper, in 2024, the U.S. became the main supplier of pollock fillets to the EU market.

He also added that, prior to this, China was the main supplier of pollock fillets to the European market with a share of...

ANALYSIS: EU and UK Seafood Import Value 12.5% Above Pre-COVID Levels

Overall imports of seafood in the EU and the UK have been slightly declining since pre-COVID, with a 2.7% drop in volume between 2019 and 2024, according to census data. However, in value, the EU and the UK imported 27.29 billion USD worth of seafood, which stands 12.5% above 2019 level.

After a 2.1% yearly slowdown due to the pandemic in 2020, imports strengthened by 4.7% in 2021. Since then, the volume of seafood imported fell by 2.9% in 2022...

The Winding Glass: Seafood Consumption in Crossfire as Global Tariff War Erupts

The biggest loser in the global tariff wars that have erupted in seafood will be American consumers, importers, processors and distributors.

This week Pres. Trump unilaterally imposed 25% tariffs on all Canadian seafood.  This covers almost all the snow crab, 55% of domestic live lobster, and about 50% of whole farmed Atlantic salmon consumed in the US.

In response to US pressure on Canada to follow its tariff war with China, the Canadians imposed higher tariffs on some Chinese products last fall...

US Fishing Industry Shares Goals, Asks For Support from Secretaries of Commerce and Agriculture

In a March 4 letter to Secretaries Howard Lutnick (Commerce) and Brooke Rollins (Agriculture) “over 170 businesses and associations from Alaska to the Gulf of America to Maine” asked the two Cabinet secretaries to help boost domestic markets, reduce regulatory burdens, combat global IUU fishing, support regional management councils, work with Congress to support fishing communities with programs such as Sea Grant, and maintain NOAA so that full access to the National Weather Service continues.

“America is a seafood superpower,” the letter reads...

Association of Seafood Producers Welcomes Kim Quinlan as Chair of Board of Directors

The Association of Seafood Producers (ASP) welcomed its new Chair of the Board of Directors, Kim Quinlan and said thank you to Paul Grant, of Beothic Fish Processors for his time in the role.

The industry association representing producers in Newfoundland and Labrador noted that Quinlan was the first woman to chair the ASP Board of Directors. She will be tasked with helping lead an industry that contributes $1.1 billion to the NL economy each year.

Executive Director Jeff Loder says...

Stay Flexible in a Convoluted Market, Experts Tell Ocean Shippers

Amid a global supply chain wracked by geopolitical strife, trade wars and parochial upheavals, the prospective return of the world’s largest container operators to the Red Sea-Suez Canal route is good news for most of the Middle East, but could signal leaner times for ocean transport providers, an analyst says.

“The opening of the Red Sea will lead to a drop in container [purchase] prices and freight rates and a massive surge in container availability, putting pressure on NVOCC [non-vessel operating common carriers] in that region," said Christian Roeloffs...

Trump Pauses Tariffs on USMCA-Compliant Imports from Mexico, Canada Until April 2

President Donald Trump’s social media posts are shaping trade policy in real-time: The president announced that some of the previously enacted 25% tariffs on Mexican goods will be delayed until April 2.

“After speaking with President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico, I have agreed that Mexico will not be required to pay Tariffs on anything that falls under the USMCA Agreement. This Agreement is until April 2nd.”

An hour prior, Trump also posted about Canadian PM, Justin Trudeau on Truth Social...

USDA Awards Nearly $50 Million to Channel Fish, Trident for Pollock Contracts

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded $47 million to Massachusetts-based Channel Fishing Processing and Seattle-based Trident Seafoods for just over 21 million pounds of Alaska pollock products.

The USDA purchase award description noted that Trident was awarded a little over $25 million for 10.5 million pounds of pollock products. Meanwhile, Channel Fish landed $22.4 million for pollock products to be distributed throughout the country.

The USDA first announced the pollock purchases in February. Expana reported that the government was eyeing...

ANALYSIS: Factors Influencing the 2024 Skipjack Tuna Market Slowdown and 2025 Price Development 

The skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) market experienced a reduction in demand toward the end of 2024. This was primarily due to high inventory levels in major canning producer countries such as Thailand and Ecuador. Additionally, the decrease in interest for purchasing raw materials was influenced by the slowdown in production during the holiday period for Christmas and New Year...

MSC Says Brands and Retailers are Key in Protecting Small Pelagic Species

Herring, blue whiting and mackerel in the North-East Atlantic have lost or had their MSC certifications suspended following disagreements on quotas between fishing nations. The new  MSC’s Small Pelagics Yearbook 2025 gives a one-page summary of how small pelagic species certification by Marine Stewardship Council has helped or — in cases where MSC certification has been pulled — hurt sales and consumption in ten global markets.  

The three pelagic species covered, herring, blue whiting, and mackerel, have had international management agreements in place...

To Tariff or Not to Tariff—A Crab’s Lament

The U.S. seafood industry faces a new wave of uncertainty with the imposition of 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico.  These duties mark a dramatic shift, ending decades of free trade and posing challenges for seafood suppliers, distributors, and consumers alike.  Canada and Mexico have both announced retaliatory measures, and economists warn of rising consumer prices and a potential slowdown in economic growth.

The U.S. tariffs on Canadian seafood, particularly the 25% duty on snow crab, have been postponed again...

SEAD Genetic Testing Shows 77% of Savannah Restaurants Are Misrepresenting Shrimp Dishes

According to recent genetic testing conducted by Seafood Development Consulting (SEAD) approximately 77% of restaurants in Savannah, Georgia, (34 out of 44 establishments) are misrepresenting farm-raised imported shrimp as local wild-caught Gulf Coast shrimp.  

SEAD was hired by the Southern Shrimp Alliance (SSA) to perform the genetic testing between February 18 – 23, 2025. During this time, SEAD utilized its patented rapid ID, high accuracy genetic test RIGHTTest™ to determine the veracity of shrimp species being served at 44 random seafood restaurants in the Savannah area...

Profand, Newsan Order State-of-the-art Patagonian Toothfish Vessel

Argentina-based Pesentar, primarily owned by fishing firms Profand and Newsan, announced the commission of a new vessel.

Profand, a top seafood firm in Spain, and Newsan, another Argentine firm, said the new vessel will be a state-of-the-art freezer trawler, described as “the most modern of its kind,” that will catch Patagonian toothfish and other species in nearby waters.

The project will be carried out by Spanish shipyard Nodosa, whose design comes after successfully delivering technologically advanced vessels. Construction is set to begin during Q1 2025, with delivery scheduled for April 2027, per a press release from Profand.

Expana Completes Fifth Successful IOSCO Audit for Proprietary Agrifood Prices

Expana has successfully completed an independent review of its proprietary food ingredient and agricultural commodity price assessment process for a fifth consecutive year.

The International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) is recognized as the global standard for PRAs, ensuring governance and integrity in the price assessment process while providing users with reliable benchmark prices.

To ensure robust adherence to IOSCO principles, Expana engaged an external auditor to review and report on its compliance to its stated methodology criteria and the requirements of the IOSCO PRA Principles...

New Seafood Products Drop as Lenten Season Kicks Off

As the 2025 Lenten season gets underway, several food producers have released limited-time only (LTO) offerings, the most recent of which are Zaxbys, SeaPak, and Natural Grocers.

Last week, a number of U.S. restaurants began showcasing new or existing menu items for the season, which runs from March 5 to April 17 this year. Such notable participants include McDonald’s, Red Lobster, Popeyes, Taco John’s, Jack in the Box, and Long John Silver's.

Zaxbys leans into its popular southern fried shrimp

For this year’s Lenten season, Georgia-headquartered chicken chain Zaxbys...