USMCA Is in Limbo. Here's What That Means for North American Seafood.

With a July 1 deadline looming, President Trump recently announced that the US will likely not reauthorize the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) for a full 16-year extension, opting instead for a rolling annual review process that trade analysts say could drag well into 2027.

"I would rather not have the agreement, but I may sign it," Trump said in France on June 17. "We do better as a country if we don't have ​an agreement...

Wicker, Hyde-Smith, Britt Urge USDA Action on Catfish Virus Threats

US Senators Roger Wicker, Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and Katie Britt (R-Ala.) are calling on the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to act before two highly contagious viruses can reach farm-raised catfish operations in Mississippi and other states.

In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, the senators urged prompt action to assess and mitigate the impacts of Yellow Catfish Virus (YcCV) and Channel Catfish Virus (CCV), warning that an unchecked outbreak could severely damage the domestic industry...

CDC Report: Tuna and Reef Fish Behind Most US Seafood Toxin Outbreaks Over 13-Year Span

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that marine toxins were responsible for 402 foodborne disease outbreaks in the United States between 2011 and 2023, resulting in 1,280 illnesses, 96 hospitalizations, and one death, with tuna and tropical reef fish at the center of most cases.

Published in CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the analysis represents the first national summary of all foodborne outbreaks caused by marine toxins across that period. Scombroid toxin poisoning and ciguatoxin together accounted...

The First California Salmon Season in Years Opens with Hope and Adaptation

Recreational and commercial salmon fisheries are open off California this year after two years of full closures and another year that had only limited recreational openers. The openers, which are still restrictive, have created a spark of life in the fishery. However, the statewide harvest is small compared to the past. 

The improved salmon returns are due to several factors, including better ocean conditions for salmon, increased hatchery production, habitat improvements, and dam removals, although the impact of the Klamath dam removals has not yet been felt...

Japan's Frozen Yellowtail Fillet Exports Rose 67% in April; up 73% to the US

According to trade statistics from the Ministry of Finance, exports of yellowtail fillets, both frozen and fresh (essentially farmed), increased significantly in April. Frozen exports rose 67% year-on-year (YOY) to 2,544 tons, with a value of 8.46 billion yen ($52.68 million), up 33%.

Fresh exports increased by 8% to 175 tons, totaling 558.79 million yen ($3.47 million). Exports to the US, the main destination, saw a 73% increase in frozen exports to 2,202 tons at 7.36 billion yen...

Spain Issues First Round of Fishing Diesel Aid, Covering 4,650 Vessels with EUR 6.8 Million

Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has published its first list of provisional beneficiaries for aid intended to offset higher fishing diesel costs linked to the Middle East crisis.

The initial round covers 4,308 vessel owners and 4,650 fishing vessels, with total support amounting to EUR 6.8 million.

This first resolution applies to the initial aid period from March 22 through April 30, 2026. While the full eligibility window currently runs through June 30...

UK-India Trade Deal Opens Door for Scottish Salmon Exports

The UK government and India have reached a trade agreement that will help reduce trade barriers between the two countries.

"The deal gives British exporters an edge over international competitors, and I would encourage all businesses to ensure they are properly prepared," British Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle said in a statement, according to a Reuters article.

The agreement is particularly significant for Scottish salmon, which faces a 33% tariff when exported to India. Under the deal, that tariff will be removed, opening up new opportunities in...

Scott & Jon’s Launches Honey Sesame Salmon Superfood Bowl at Costco

Scott & Jon’s is expanding its retail reach with the launch of its new Honey Sesame Salmon Superfood Bowl at Costco locations across the Southeast and Texas, adding another club-store channel for the frozen seafood meal brand.

The new product is being offered in an exclusive four-pack of 10-ounce ready-to-heat meals at a price point of $15.99. Designed for convenience-driven shoppers, the meal goes from freezer to table in about four minutes.

Each bowl includes Omega...

Wild Alaskan Company to Directly Operate Kasilof Buying Station for 2026 Salmon Season

Wild Alaskan Company will directly operate the Kasilof buying station for the upcoming salmon season, reversing its original plan to bring in an outside operator after acquiring the facility in February.

The company said it has committed the capital, personnel, and operational resources needed to prepare the facility for the 2026 season. The Kasilof station serves Alaska's second-largest sockeye salmon fishery and plays a key role in access, logistics, and value creation across the region.

"While it wasn't our original plan, we chose...

What a Super El Niño Could Mean for Alaska's Seabirds, Salmon, and Seas

With the declaration of an El Niño last week and forecasts that it will intensify into a "Super El Niño" this winter, US Geological Survey (USGS) researchers are tracking how warming waters threaten Alaska's ecosystems — from seabird die-offs and harmful algal blooms to heat-stressed salmon.

In the US, El Niño brings warmer conditions to northern states and wetter conditions to southern states, but the phenomenon's energy also affects seabed ecosystems and atmospheric conditions. Because peak El Niño is expected during winter 2026-2027, effects...

Expana's Weekly Top 10

This week’s Top 10 highlights the key risks, policy developments and market shifts shaping the agri-food landscape, from biosecurity threats and farm labor reform to fertilizer costs, cocoa competition and resilient consumer demand. From the spread of New World screwworm in the US and proposed changes to the H-2A program, to private label growth, Father’s Day meat promotions and climate risks facing West Coast fisheries, these are the stories driving markets this week. This list is in no particular order. 

Find archived recaps here.

10. Private labels continue...

Russian Crab Exports Hit Record High in First Five Months of 2026

Russian crab exports reached record levels in the first five months of 2026, driven by stable demand and a generally favorable market environment.

According to the Russian Federal Center for Agroexports — the agency responsible for monitoring agricultural exports from Russia — shipments from January through May totaled nearly 34,000 tons (live, fresh, chilled, and frozen), up 11% compared to the same period in 2025. Export revenue climbed 26% to $930 million. Both figures set records for the January–May period...

Machina Launches Performance‑Driven TV Campaign for Get Maine Lobster

Machina, an insight‑driven advisory focused on performance marketing across linear television, CTV, broadcast, and streaming platforms, announced the launch of a 30‑second spot for Black Point Seafood’s Get Maine Lobster (GML).

The campaign marks GML’s debut in television advertising and underscores the brand’s move into AI‑driven performance marketing for the direct‑to‑consumer channel.

“The Get Maine Lobster campaign proves that with the right technology, the right strategic partners, and a founder willing to make the leap, performance TV can deliver extraordinary results", said Machina's Managing Director Michael Pierce.

Aysén Agencies, Salmon Farmers Test HAB Mass Mortality Response in Joint Simulation

Chile’s Aysén region is stepping up contingency planning for large-scale aquaculture emergencies, with  the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (Sernapesca) participating in a simulation tied to a salmon mass mortality event caused by a Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB).

The exercise, organized by the Inter-Institutional Committee on Environmental Contingencies (CIICA), brought together public agencies and local salmon farming companies to test how the sector would respond to a complex event involving logistical constraints, high mortality management and communication...

Seafish Unveils 2026-27 Annual Plan Focused on Workforce, Trade and Supply Chain Resilience

Seafish, the UK public body supporting the seafood industry, has released its 2026-27 Annual Plan, outlining three strategic priorities: a safe and skilled workforce, a smoother and expanding seafood trade, and a resilient supply chain.

CEO Colin Faulkner, who joined the organization in January 2026, described the plan as arriving during a period of "significant change" for UK seafood sectors and acknowledged that Seafish needs to "rebuild and strengthen trust" with its stakeholders — an unusually candid admission for a public body...

Boudreaux's Brand Owner Sues Former Licensee Over Trademark Counterfeiting and UPC Code Theft

Gulf Marine Products Co., Inc. (GMP), the Westwego, Louisiana-based owner of the Boudreaux's seafood brand and crawfish importer, has filed a federal lawsuit against a former business partner, alleging trademark counterfeiting and the deliberate misappropriation of its retail product codes after a two-decade licensing relationship collapsed.

The complaint, filed June 12 in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, names A La Carte Specialty Foods, L.L.C. (ALC) and its sole member Karl D. Turner as defendants. GMP is seeking...

Trump Arctic Official Pitches Greenland Annexation as Lifeline for Red Lobster

A senior Trump administration official pushing for US control of Greenland has added an unlikely argument to his case: restocking Red Lobster.

Thomas Dans, the White House's Arctic affairs point man, argued this week that annexing Greenland would allow the US to directly tap the island's rich fisheries — cutting out foreign middlemen and keeping product away from China. "My view is that the United States could take all the seafood Greenland could produce, and cut out the middleman, and keep it from China," Dans told The New Yorker.

Dongwon F&B Completes Global Advanced Base 'Protein Nexus' in Jincheon

Kim Sung-yong, Dongwon F&B’s CEO, announced earlier this week that the Korean seafood giant has completed its second Jincheon business site in Gwanghyewon-myeon, Jincheon-gun, and has begun full-scale operations there. Jincheon-gun is part of the North Chungcheong Province, or Chungcheongbuk-do, in South Korea. 

The Jincheon Second Site is a state-of-the-art production facility with an investment of 140 billion won (US$105 million) and floor space of 142,000 square feet (4,400 pyeong) per floor with two above-ground floors...

ASC Defends Certification System in Response to US Senate Committee

The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) has responded to the US Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, outlining the structure and oversight behind its aquaculture certification program as scrutiny of imported seafood and supply chain accountability remains high.

In its response, ASC emphasized that its certification system is built on stringent standards, independent third-party audits, full supply chain traceability, public transparency, and continuous improvement measures designed to provide assurance for certified seafood products.

ASC-certified seafood is sold globally, including in the United...

Port of Tacoma Approves Ground Lease for $250M Cold Storage Facility Expected to Create 400 Jobs

The Port of Tacoma Commission on June 16 approved a 50-year ground lease with Saxum Investment Company, LLC for a cold storage and food processing facility on a 30-acre site on the Blair-Hylebos Peninsula.

Saxum anticipates investing up to $250 million in the project, which is expected to generate up to 400 jobs and $43 million in annual wages upon completion. The facility will feature high-efficiency cold storage and purpose-built food processing space, with direct access...

ANALYSIS: US April Shrimp Imports Down 16% as India Volumes Retreat Sharply

April's official US shrimp imports totaled 129.0 million lbs on an adjusted basis, landing within the product-type Expana model range of 124.8–144.4M lbs.

The headline figure held, but the composition across product types offers additional context. Peeled came in at 68.7M lbs, fractionally above the upper model estimate of 68.0M lbs. Shell-on landed at 34.0M lbs, at the lower bound of the projected range. Breaded at 11.4M lbs fell within range. Cooked was the notable deviation at 12.8M lbs, below the lower model estimate...

NOAA Directs $123.6M in Fishery Disaster Funds to Alaska, West Coast, and Squaxin Island Tribe

The US Department of Commerce announced Tuesday the allocation of $123.6 million in fishery resource disaster funding, drawn from money appropriated by Congress in the American Relief Act of 2025. The funds are directed at fishery disasters that struck Oregon, California, Alaska, and the Squaxin Island Tribe in Washington between 2019 and 2023.

NOAA Fisheries used commercial revenue loss data to determine how funding will be distributed across the eligible disasters. Funds can be deployed for a range of recovery activities, including fishery infrastructure...

Expana's Publication Schedule for Juneteenth, June 19, 2026

Expana will be observing the Juneteenth holiday on Friday, June 19, across its Americas offices. This holiday schedule will impact the publication dates of several Expana Benchmark Prices and some news.

The European and APAC offices’ publication schedules will be unaffected by this holiday. Regular publishing schedules will resume on Monday, June 22, 2026.

The Juneteenth holiday period will affect the following markets...

Americold Opens New Cold Chain Hub at Port Saint John, Expanding Global Trade Connections

Americold Realty Trust has opened a new import-export hub at Port Saint John, strengthening links between North American producers and international markets while advancing temperature-controlled logistics in Canada.

Unveiled during Port Days 2026, the facility was developed with DP World and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC). The project combines cold storage, maritime logistics and rail transportation in a single location, creating what the companies describe as the first integrated operation of its kind globally...

Norcod Secures Exclusive Five-Year Juvenile Supply Deal with Havland

Norwegian cod farmer Norcod has signed a five-year agreement with juvenile supplier Havland, under which Havland will supply all of its cod juveniles exclusively to Norcod.

The deal deepens a relationship that stretches back to 2018, when the two companies began working together to rebuild cod farming in Norway. In 2021, they entered a joint venture to establish a cod hatchery in Florø, supporting the next phase of growth for the sector.

"Havland has for many years been, and continues to be, an important partner for Norcod...

Brands Compete on Value, Experience and Summer Promotions in Foodservice

Rising prices, shifting consumer expectations and seasonal marketing pushes are shaping the latest moves across foodservice. From affordability and customer satisfaction trends to global expansion, soccer-themed promotions and summer menu innovation, restaurant brands are refining how they attract traffic, build loyalty and compete for consumer spending.

With fast-food costs climbing and value under greater scrutiny, new studies highlight how affordability and customer satisfaction are shaping consumer choices.

A new WalletHub study finds fast food is becoming less affordable, with sharp state-by-state differences...

Pokeworks Expands Limited-Time Menu Strategy with New High-Protein Surf & Turf Bowl

Pokeworks is tapping into growing consumer demand for protein-forward menu options with the launch of its new High-Protein Surf & Turf Bowl, available for a limited time across participating locations nationwide.

The fast-casual poke brand's latest limited-time offering combines premium ahi tuna and chicken breast in a single entrée designed to appeal to guests seeking higher-protein meal options without sacrificing flavor or customization. The bowl delivers 44 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber, pairing...

ANALYSIS: European Pollock Imports Slip 5.2% YTD, Prices Rise on Supply Constraints

Imports of frozen pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus) fillets into Europe (European Union and United Kingdom) decreased 5.2% year-to-date through March 2026, reaching 71,694 metric tonnes, according to National Customs. Russia remains the main supplier to Europe with a 49.8% market share, followed by the US (30.5%) and China (19.4%). Pollock fillet trade to Europe is slowing, with volumes from the US and China down 17.5% and 21.3% respectively compared to the same period last year (see Figure 1)...

Dual Ocean Threats Put West Coast Fisheries, Marine Life on Notice

Two major ocean phenomena off the US West Coast will affect salmon, rockfish, squid, tuna, and crab fisheries, as well as whales, California sea lions, and seabirds, in the coming months. NOAA has tracked a large marine heatwave for a year now, and last week announced that a separate strong El Niño has been building and is expected to peak in the coming winter of 2026–2027.

The Pacific Ocean's El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is arguably the most influential climate driver on Earth, NOAA scientists say...

Lawmakers Tell NSF to Halt Ocean Sensor Removal, Merkley Calling It "Supreme Stupidity"

With a super El Niño developing in the Pacific and wildfire forecasts at alarming levels across western states, the National Science Foundation (NSF) last month announced plans to remove the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) — a network of 900 ocean monitoring instruments that provides critical data for coastal communities, fishermen, and nationwide emergency preparedness. The system was implemented in 2016 at a cost of $388 million and was designed to operate for at least 30 years...