ANALYSIS: June US Shrimp Imports Rise 3.4% as Origin Mix Continues to Shift

June official US shrimp imports totaled 163.1 million lbs, up 3.4% versus June 2025. The headline gain is modest, but the origin composition behind it reflects a more significant shift that has been building through the first half of the year.

Ecuador recorded 62.6 million lbs in June, up 58.3% year over year — outpacing India by nearly 5 million lbs in a single month. On a YTD basis through June, Ecuador has shipped 317.7 million lbs, up 27.4% versus the same period in 2025. India, by contrast...

Advocates Report ICE 'Soft Raid' Targeting Workers at Washington Seafood Plant

For the past three months, agents reportedly working for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have been targeting the Premier Packing plant in Lynden, WA. Over those months, the federal agency's strategies have changed as Washington laws have passed to protect residents from illegal ICE actions.

"One of the things that makes this unique is it's along roadsides, on public thoroughfares," said Jeremy Dorrough, executive director of Racial Unity Now, the advocacy group documenting ICE activity in the area. "It's even, in some of the instances, happened at people's place...

Chile's Economic Reform Law Clears Congress, Giving Salmon Farmers Long-Sought Regulatory Relief

Chile's Congress has given final approval to President José Antonio Kast's flagship economic reform package, the Ley de Reconstrucción Nacional y Desarrollo Económico y Social, and the aquaculture sector is among the clearest winners. The Senate signed off on August 4 after months of contentious debate, completing a bill that industry groups had lobbied hard to shape.

For salmon farming, the headline provision is a new "micro-relocation" mechanism that allows operators to shift the physical footprint of an existing concession by up to 350 meters...

Oregon's $3B Tariff Bill Hits Seafood-Dependent Coast Hard, New State Report Finds

Oregon importers paid nearly $3 billion in tariffs between March and December 2025 as the state's effective tariff rate surged from roughly 2% to multiples of that figure, according to a new analysis released August 3 by Governor Tina Kotek's office.

The report — co-authored by the Office of Economic Analysis, the Oregon Employment Department, and Business Oregon — found that Oregon was hit harder than most US states, a direct consequence of its coastal geography and port-dependent trade flows. The seafood industry, which relies...

Superior Fresh Completes First Atlantic Salmon Harvest at Indiana RAS Facility

Superior Fresh has completed its first commercial Atlantic salmon harvest at its Albany, Indiana recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) facility — a milestone roughly two years in the making since acquiring the site from the now-defunct AquaBounty Technologies in September 2024 for US$9.5 million (AndNowUKnow).

"From redesigning the facility, to continuously caring for our fish, to harvesting our very first salmon just a few weeks ago — every milestone has been made possible by our incredible teams both in Indiana and Wisconsin," the company said in a LinkedIn post...

ASMI Adds New “Seafood Sustains Alaska” Videos to Alaska Airport Rotation

Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) is featuring a series of short videos in airports across Alaska as part of its multi‑year Seafood Sustains Alaska campaign.

ASMI recently added a new video to the rotation at the Fairbanks, Anchorage and Juneau airports. The video highlights the commercial seafood sector’s value to Alaska and the many ways residents are connected to the industry. It uses striking imagery of Alaska and its fishermen to show how Alaska seafood supports communities, families and the...

ABANCA and Conxemar Renew Partnership Ahead of 27th International Seafood Trade Fair in Vigo

Spanish bank ABANCA and Conxemar, the Spanish Association of Wholesalers, Importers, Exporters, and Processors of Fishery and Aquaculture Products, have renewed their long-standing sponsorship agreement ahead of the 27th edition of the Conxemar International Seafood Trade Fair, set to take place October 6–8 in Vigo, Spain.

The agreement was signed at ABANCA's Vigo headquarters by Víctor Casal, ABANCA's Executive Director of Corporate, Business and SME Banking, and Conxemar President Eloy García. The renewed partnership keeps ABANCA as a key sponsor of the fair...

US Expands Forced-Labor Blacklist on China; Tomato and Salmon Producers Targeted

On July 31, the US Department of Homeland Security issued new barriers for trade with China by expanding the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) Entity List by adding 43 companies. The list expansion marks the largest single increase since the law took effect. So, starting August 3, trade will be blocked from certain Chinese companies making tomatoes, cotton, nuts, salmon, aluminum foil, battery materials, and pharmaceuticals. 

While the action is tariff-adjacent due to the forced labor aspect, this is more of a company and region-specific trade embargo...

Fishermen Fight to Keep Atlantic Monument Waters Open in Federal Court

Two New England commercial fishermen have asked a federal court to let them join the defense of the Trump administration's decision to lift a fishing ban across 5,000 square miles of Atlantic Ocean, arguing the ban was illegal from the start and should never be reinstated.

Frank Green, a Long Island tilefish fisherman, and Robert Conrad of Vermont, who trawls for whiting, squid, butterfish, and mackerel, filed a motion to intervene as defendants on July 31 in Conservation Law Foundation v. Trump in the US District Court for the...

Tariffs Keep Biting: Norwegian Salmon Loses Ground in US Despite Record July Exports

Norway posted record overall seafood export figures in July, but the US market remains a notable weak spot as tariffs weigh on trade across multiple species, according to the Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC).

US-bound exports fell 4% in July, dropping Norway to its fifth-largest salmon market — a striking slide from the second spot it held just a year ago. "Tariffs on exports to the US are still affecting salmon exports," said Paul Aandahl, seafood analyst at the NSC...

New CEO Toke Binzer Reshapes Royal Greenland’s Executive Management

Royal Greenland is reshaping its leadership team as new CEO Toke Binzer takes responsibility for assembling the company’s executive management.

Binzer assumed the company's CEO position in December, 2025 after it dismissed Arfelt Rajamand who held the role for just over two years.

In an update shared Monday, the seafood producer said Jan H. Lynnge Pedersen and Robert-Jan Treebus are both stepping down from their roles. Royal Greenland emphasized that the departures are not related to performance, professional capability, integrity, or...

The Retail Rundown: Retailers Pivot to Back-to-School and Football Season

August marks one of grocers' busiest seasonal transitions as retailers work to capture the final weeks of summer while preparing for back-to-school routines, Labor Day cookouts, and the start of football season.

Store circulars are increasingly shifting from vacation essentials to lunchbox staples, breakfast foods, and snacks. Retailers are also capitalizing on the broader protein trend by highlighting products that deliver both nutrition and convenience, with deli meats and ready-to-eat offerings prominently featured. 

USDA retail feature activity indicates this emphasis on fresh proteins, with ground beef serving as a key traffic driver...

Hudson Valley Fisheries to Wind Down Operations Amid Mounting Financial Challenges

Hudson Valley Fisheries (HVF) announced on social media that it will begin scaling back its operations over the next three months, citing a combination of infrastructure challenges and rising operating costs that have impacted the company's ability to grow and remain profitable.

HVF specialized in raising steelhead trout year-round using a land-based Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS), which allowed the company to produce fish in a controlled environment while minimizing environmental impact. The system reused approximately 95% of its water, eliminated the need for antibiotics...

EU Approves €20 Million Italian State Aid Scheme Under Middle East Crisis Framework

The European Commission has approved a €20 million state aid scheme to support companies in the agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture sectors in the Italian region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. The support was authorized under the Middle East Crisis Temporary State Aid Framework (METSAF), adopted by the Commission in April, following increases in fuel and fertilizer costs linked to the Middle East crisis.

The scheme will run until the end of December and will provide support in the form of direct grants and subsidized loans...

Consumers Sue Amazon Over Seafood Sustainability Claims in Greenwashing Class Action

Amazon.com faces a class action lawsuit filed July 31 in federal court in Seattle alleging the company misled consumers through unsubstantiated sustainability claims on dozens of seafood products sold through its platform — including products under its own Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh brands.

The complaint, filed by Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro on behalf of two consumers, targets what it calls "Greenwashed Seafood Products" bearing claims such as "MSC Certified Sustainable Seafood," "wild caught," "responsibly sourced," "traceable," and "dolphin safe...

Sysco Reports Higher Fourth-Quarter Sales, Volume Growth; Sets 2027 Outlook

Sysco reported higher sales, earnings and case volume for the fourth quarter ended June 27, with growth across its US and international foodservice operations while introducing fiscal 2027 guidance that includes productivity gains from artificial intelligence initiatives.

Fourth-quarter sales rose 4.7%, led by a 2.5% increase in US Foodservice case volume and 2.6% growth in local case volume. Gross profit climbed 3.7% to $4.1 billion, operating income increased 10.6% to $983 million and net earnings grew 3.8% to $551 million.

Scottish Salmon Arrives in India Tariff-Free as UK-India Trade Deal Takes Effect

The first shipment of Scottish salmon has landed in India following the entry into force of the UK-India Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement on July 15, marking a significant new market opening for Scotland's £828 million ($1.1 billion) farmed salmon industry.

The deal eliminates India's previous 33% import tariff on Scottish salmon immediately upon entry into force, alongside tariffs on haddock, cod, and other finfish. Shellfish including mussels, scallops, and lobster will see tariffs reduced on a longer glide path rather than eliminated...