Salmon, Tuna, Lobster Among Seafood on New US-China Tariff Reduction List

A broad range of US seafood exports — from Alaska pollock and Pacific cod to Maine lobster, Gulf of Maine shrimp, Atlantic sea scallops, and sea cucumber — stands to benefit from a new tariff-reduction framework unveiled by the United States and China on September 28, following last week's summit between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington, D.C.

Under a document titled "Terms of Reference for the '30-for-30' Framework," dated September 27, the two countries agreed to reciprocal lists of goods...

Commerce Rescinds Shrimp Antidumping Review for 285 Indian Exporters

The US Department of Commerce has partially rescinded its antidumping duty administrative review of certain frozen warmwater shrimp from India for the 2025-2026 period, dropping 285 companies from the proceeding after determining they had no suspended entries of subject merchandise during the review period, according to a notice published in the Federal Register on September 28.

The review, initiated March 31, 2026, originally covered 393 companies for the period of review (POR) running February 1, 2025, through January 31, 2026. Commerce received requests for review in February...

Markey Blocks Sullivan's Bid to Fast-Track Bycatch Reduction Act

US Senator Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts) blocked Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) from fast-tracking his Bycatch Reduction Act on the Senate floor September 23, denying the Alaska lawmaker a unanimous consent vote just a week after the bill cleared committee.

Sullivan took to the floor calling his legislation "the most comprehensive trawl bycatch reduction legislation ever to come before the United States Senate," and urged colleagues to pass it by unanimous consent — a procedural shortcut that requires no senator object...

Federal Court Shuts Down Gold Star Distribution After Seafood-Inclusive Recall

A federal court has entered a permanent injunction against Gold Star Distribution, Inc., barring the Minneapolis-based multi-commodity warehouse operator from distributing any FDA-regulated products — including seafood, food, drugs, medical devices, and cosmetics — until it overhauls its operations to meet federal sanitary requirements, the FDA announced September 23.

The U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota entered the consent decree on September 21 against Gold Star and owner Bassam Abu Samrah, following what the agency described as...

Canadian Food Manufacturers Face Rising Trade and Cost Pressures

Canada’s food and beverage manufacturers posted sales growth in the first half of 2026, but higher prices rather than stronger volumes drove the increase as tariffs, trade disruption and cautious consumer spending added pressure to margins.

Food and beverage manufacturing sales reached C$88.1 billion in the first half of 2026, up 4% from the same period last year, according to a mid-year update from Farm Credit Canada (FCC) Economics. Adjusted for prices, however, real sales were flat.

“The first half of 2026 shows the sector...

Russia Sees Sharp Pollock Price Growth This Year Amid Cod Shortage, Export Demand

Russia has experienced a sharp rise in pollock prices this year, with wholesale prices up 59.3% since the beginning of 2026. The increase is being driven by growing global demand for pollock and a significant decline in catches of other white fish species, particularly cod, for which pollock is increasingly viewed as an alternative.

According to analysts, the current price surge can be attributed to strong export demand and favorable conditions in foreign markets...

Fresh Thyme Market Spotlights Seafood in 2027 Trend Forecast

Midwest grocer Fresh Thyme Market has named ocean-sourced foods as a standout category in its newly released 2027 "Top 10 Trends" report, giving seafood its own dedicated slot alongside the retailer's flagship flavor and wellness predictions for the year ahead.

The report, developed in partnership with consumer data firm SPINS, forecasts the flavors, ingredients and wellness priorities Fresh Thyme expects shoppers to chase in 2027. While the core list runs to 10 trends spanning fiber, brain food and GLP-1-friendly...

Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act Clears Senate, Heads to President's Desk

The Senate unanimously passed S. 283, the Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act, on September 24, sending the bill to President Trump's desk for signature after the House cleared it earlier this month, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) announced. Expana reported on the House's passage of the bill on September 17.

Cruz introduced the bill alongside Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.). "While Texas fishermen are hard at work...

Handy Seafood Bets on "Crab Wings" Trend With New Panko-Breaded Soft Crab Portions

Handy Seafood is targeting the growing "crab wings" trend with a new labor-saving product line to help foodservice operators capture the social media momentum behind the sauced, shareable seafood dish.

The Salisbury, Maryland-based company's new Panko Breaded Soft Crab Portions are designed specifically for wing-style applications, shipped frozen, pre-cut, and pre-breaded, so operators can move them from freezer to deep fryer in three to four minutes. The company said the format reduces back-of-house prep labor while ensuring consistent portion...

Expana's Weekly Top 10

This week’s Top 10 stories highlight the global forces shaping food, agriculture, and trade markets, from rising tariff tensions and geopolitical risk to supply chain disruptions, fertilizer supply moves, and shifting protein demand. Together, these developments underscore how policy, weather, logistics, and consumer trends continue to influence market conditions across the food and commodity landscape.

Trade & Policy

10. Trade tensions are back in focus ahead of the Sept. 24 Trump-Xi summit, with a possible new Section 301 tariff on China under discussion and the current trade truce extended by two...

Nofima Aquafeed Center Wins Funding for Major Expansion

New research infrastructure will expand Norway’s capacity to develop, process and test feed ingredients and other bio-based raw materials for aquaculture.

Nofima’s Aquafeed Technology Centre is to enter a second phase, with new research infrastructure funding supporting an expansion of the facilities used to develop and evaluate feed ingredients for aquaculture.

The centre is one of 18 research infrastructure projects receiving funding from the Research Council of Norway in an investment totaling NOK 1.24 billion. Nofima leads the Aquafeed Technology Centre in collaboration with the...

Atlantic Sapphire Raises Fifth Bridge Loan Tranche as Refinancing Drags On

Atlantic Sapphire ASA has agreed to raise a fifth tranche of its ongoing bridge loan facility, extending a rescue-financing arrangement that has now stretched across six months and five separate draws, according to a stock exchange notice filed September 24.

The land-based salmon farmer said it has agreed with existing lenders — Condire Management L.P., Nordlaks Holding AS, Strawberry Capital AS, Nokomis Capital Master Fund L.P. and Joh. Johannson Eiendom AS — to raise "Bridge Loan Tranche E" of USD 3 million. The new tranche...

Bendito Mar Becomes First Mexican Farm to Join ASC Improver Program

Bendito Mar, a Mexican cooperative that farms bivalve molluscs in Bahía Magdalena, Baja California Sur, has become the first farm in Mexico to join the Improver Programme by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), the organization announced. The move marks Bendito Mar's entry into an Aquaculture Improvement Project (AIP) designed to strengthen its environmental and social performance and move it toward eventual ASC certification.

Bendito Mar, established in 2018, is a cooperative focused on regenerative cultivation of bivalve mollusks, including oysters, Catarina scallops, chocolate clams and pen shell...

Luke's Lobster Offers $20 Lobster Roll Combo for National Lobster Day

Luke's Lobster is marking National Lobster Day with a two-day promotion on its signature lobster roll, offering a quarter-pound Lobster Roll and Chips combo for $20 at participating shacks nationwide. The deal runs Thursday, September 24 and Friday, September 25 — National Lobster Day — and represents a discount from the combo's usual price of $26 to $28, depending on location.

"I grew up in Maine thinking every day could be a lobster day, so National Lobster Day always feels like something...

I’m Shrimp Farm 5 Achieves Certification to New ASC Farm Standard in Thailand

I’m Shrimp Farm 5 in Phang Nga has achieved certification to the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) Farm Standard, becoming one of the first early adopters of the ASC certification in Thailand.

The certification recognises the farm’s performance across environmental and social impacts, animal health and welfare, legal compliance and farm management, while providing a framework for strengthening existing practices and identifying areas for continued improvement.

Koji Yamamoto, South-East Asia Producer Engagement Lead at ASC said, “Congratulations to I’m Shrimp...

Bristol Bay 2026 Sockeye Harvest Falls Short of Last Year, Ex-Vessel Value Surges on Higher Prices

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game released its 2026 Bristol Bay salmon season summary Tuesday, showing a smaller harvest than last year but a significantly higher fishery value, driven by stronger prices.

In the preliminary summary, ADF&G reported a commercial harvest of 30.1 million sockeye at an average ex-vessel price of $1.72 per pound, for a fishery value of $260.2 million.

That compares with the 2025 season, when fishermen caught 41.2 million sockeye...

UK Weighs Second Wave of Cost-of-Living Tariff Suspensions on Food, Fertilizer, and Kerosene

Amid consumer price pressure from the Middle East conflict, the UK government has moved on two fronts to suspend import tariffs on selected goods. The first package, announced April 30 and implemented June 21, 2026, removed duties on select fruits, fruit juices, pasta, couscous, and tuna which is in effect now, through December 31, 2028, according to a UK government update...

NAIA Elects New Board Leadership for 2026–2027

The Newfoundland and Labrador Aquaculture Industry Association (NAIA) has elected new leadership for its 2026–2027 Board of Directors, with Cermaq Canada’s Stephanie Synard McInnis moving into the President role and Skretting Canada’s Ben Normand elected Vice President.

The changes were approved during NAIA’s Annual General Meeting, held as part of the 2026 Cold Harvest Conference. The board’s other members will continue in their existing roles, with Sheldon George moving from President to Past President.

McInnis succeeds George as chair of the association’s board. She said NAIA...

Europêche Flags Gaps in EU Tuna trade Impact Assessments

Europêche is calling for more detailed analysis of the European Union’s long-distance tuna fleet in Sustainability Impact Assessments (SIAs) for major trade agreements, citing gaps in how tuna products and fleet-level impacts are evaluated.

The industry group’s review of SIAs covering Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Mexico and a 2026 draft assessment for Thailand identified what it described as recurring shortcomings, including inconsistent categorization of tuna products and a lack of quantitative modeling of the EU fleet’s revenues, employment and sourcing...

Ai2, Global Fishing Watch Expand AI Partnership for Fisheries Monitoring

Ai2 and Global Fishing Watch are expanding their partnership to develop AI tools for ocean monitoring and enforcement, with an emphasis on detecting and investigating activity at sea, including potential illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Announced during Climate Week NYC 2026, the collaboration will combine Ai2’s AI models and Skylight maritime intelligence platform with Global Fishing Watch’s ocean data, mapping technology and experience working with governments on fisheries monitoring and enforcement.

The organizations plan to integrate additional satellite data, develop real-time computer vision...

ICE Operation in New Bedford Targets Fish House Workers, at Least Eight Arrested

At least eight people were arrested Monday as US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents launched a major operation centered on New Bedford, Massachusetts — one of the country's largest fishing ports by landed value — according to reporting by the New Bedford Light. At least four of those arrested worked in local fish houses, according to Adrian Ventura, executive director of the Centro Comunitario de Trabajadores, an organization that hosted a meeting to connect affected families with resources.

The Light reported that a reporter witnessed an arrest near the...

FDA Classifies Trinity Seafood Tuna Recall as Class II Over Scombrotoxin Contamination

The US Food and Drug Administration has classified a recall of fresh tuna distributed by Buckhead Meat Company, doing business as Trinity Seafood, as a Class II recall, the agency's second-highest risk designation, following the detection of elevated levels of scombrotoxin in the product.

The classification, issued September 16, formalizes a recall that Trinity Seafood, based in Lakewood, New Jersey, had already initiated voluntarily on July 24 after the New Jersey Department of Health notified the company that two samples of its tuna tested positive for high...

Southern Shrimp Alliance Urges NMFS to Reject Weaker Marine Mammal Import Rules for Foreign Fleets

Foodservice Heads Into Fall With Expansion, Stronger Earnings and Seasonal Promotions

Foodservice operators are heading into fall with expansion plans, solid financial performance, and a renewed push to convert everyday visits into repeat occasions. This biweekly roundup highlights the latest earnings and growth updates, industry data shaping consumer behavior, and seasonal promotions designed to drive traffic, loyalty participation, and digital engagement.

Market Expansions and Financial Results

Chipotle is expanding its Apprentice program to deepen its management pipeline as it prepares to open 350 to 370 new restaurants in 2026 and works toward a...

Darden Posts First-Quarter Sales Growth, Reaffirms Fiscal 2027 Outlook

Darden Restaurants opened fiscal 2027 with higher sales and earnings in the first quarter, helped by positive same-restaurant sales across all of its business segments.

For the quarter ended Aug. 30, 2026, total sales increased 5.1% to $3.2 billion. Blended same-restaurant sales rose 3.1% on a fiscal calendar basis and 3.2% on a comparable calendar basis.

Reported diluted net earnings per share from continuing operations were $2.05, up 4.1% from last year’s adjusted diluted net earnings per share from continuing operations. The company...

Norway Launches Seafood Network to Reverse Domestic Consumption Decline

Norway's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries has convened a new "seafood network" aimed at reversing a long-running decline in domestic fish consumption, even as the country remains one of the world's largest seafood exporting nations, according to a September 23 press release.

Fisheries and Ocean Minister Marianne Sivertsen Næss brought together representatives from the seafood industry, grocery sector and research community for the network's first meeting. "It's strange, when everyone knows fish is healthy and good. Not least, it's quick to prepare...

Five Fined $19,000 for Illegal Shellfish Harvest in Campbell River, B.C.

Five recreational shellfish harvesters were fined a combined $19,000 after being convicted of illegal fishing activities in Campbell River, British Columbia, Fisheries and Oceans Canada said.

The convictions were handed down July 14 in Campbell River Provincial Court following a June 25, 2025, low-tide patrol by DFO fishery officers. Officers found the group harvesting shellfish along the Campbell River waterfront, an area closed under the Canadian Shellfish Sanitation Program (CSSP) for public health protection.

Jucy Canupin was fined $5,000 for harvesting...

ANALYSIS: US Shrimp Retail Prices Cool, But Trade Policy Risk Remains Unresolved

Discounted shrimp prices at retail have declined meaningfully, with feature and ad pricing running at levels not seen in some time. Estimated pounds moved reached 13.6 million in a single week, the strongest weekly print in years and a marked shift from what had been the weakest seasonal stretch since 2020...

New England Council Leaves Scallop Permit Stacking to NOAA, Pushes Northern Edge Access to December

The New England Fishery Management Council worked through a list of management priorities at its September 2026 meeting that NOAA laid out in a July 2 letter tied to Executive Order 14276, "Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness," with outcomes ranging from deferral to outright rejection ahead of a formal Council response due to NOAA by September 30.

The most consequential decision came on scallop permit stacking, which would let vessels combine multiple permits' allocations onto a single boat. Despite NOAA tasking the Council with pursuing action...

Thai Express Bets on Calamari as Canada's Next Premium QSR Protein

Thai Express, a Canadian quick-service chain, is betting on calamari with its latest menu item. The Montreal-founded chain has grown into one of the largest Thai restaurant concepts in Canada, with more than 300 locations worldwide.

The brand launched its first-ever Crunchy Calamari as it looks to bring a premium seafood item to more Canadians. The launch follows the company's lobster debut, which turned into one of its hottest limited-time offerings ever.

Thai Express said the success of last year's lobster launch showcased demand...