ANALYSIS: Live Lobster Prices Held in Check as Buyers Stay Disciplined and Frozen Stocks Stay Lean

The live lobster market remains subdued, with buyers largely covering immediate requirements rather than extending inventory positions. Buyers have shown little urgency to chase higher offers, even as availability tightens in select sizes. The market is also moving through a seasonally quieter demand period ahead of the year-end holiday push, while broader consumer caution and sensitivity to food costs may be weighing on premium seafood demand...

ANALYSIS: Norwegian Weekly Salmon Exports Ease After Record Peak, Prices Continue Rising

Norwegian Atlantic farmed salmon exports through week 41 rose 13.5% year-to-date (YTD), with a slight reduction in weekly export level after reaching an all-time high in week 39 at 32,385 mt (Figure 1). Exports fell 7.6% week-over-week (WOW) in week 42, according to Statistics Norway, the second consecutive week of decline...

Chile: Algal Bloom Contingency Closed as ISA Harvests Continue in Aysén

Chile's fisheries service, Sernapesca, declared the end of a mass-mortality contingency at Multiexport Patagonia's Magallanes farms on Oct. 14.

A harmful algal bloom killed 917.79 tonnes of fish across salmon concession groups 43A and 43B. All of the dead fish were harvested and sent to the La Portada reduction plant in Los Lagos. Sernapesca authorized early harvests to limit further losses. Magallanes regional director Ximena Gallardo said that although mortality exceeded 900 tonnes, it was low compared with other algal bloom events the agency...

PODCAST: Episode 47 - Building Procurement into a Strategic Business Function, Feat. Patricia Mendes

In this episode of Expana's Agrifood for Thought podcast, Patricia Mendes, former Vice President of Global Sourcing & Transformation and Vice President of International Zone at Kraft Heinz, explores how procurement has evolved into a strategic business function.

Expana's Weekly Top 10

This week’s Top 10 captures the crosscurrents shaping agrifood markets, from tariff uncertainty and rising logistics costs to shifting demand signals across cocoa, seafood, dairy and animal nutrition. Coverage also highlights how weather risk, inflation and changing consumer behavior continue to influence trade flows, pricing and sourcing strategies around the world.

Find archived recaps here. 

Trade and Global Commodity Markets

1. Tariff Talks 2026: Expana’s Weekly Rundown #41 by Ryan Gallagher

Tariffs and trade remain the dominant themes this week, but rising energy and transport costs are adding fresh margin pressure across commodity markets...

BioMar Launches BioRetain, Targeting Nutrient Retention in Aquafeed

Feed is the largest cost in aquaculture, and BioMar says a growing share of the nutrients fish and shrimp consume never reaches growth. Its new BioRetain concept is designed to change that. The company says the formulation improves how nutrients are used and retained, directing more of them toward protein growth rather than energy use or fat storage.

BioMar says the approach can improve biological performance without raising protein or energy levels in the feed. It also gives formulators more room to choose raw materials, which the company says...

ProChile Spotlights Chilean Seafood, Wine and Pisco in New York Push

ProChile, Chile’s export promotion agency under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will showcase the country’s food and beverage exports at two invitation-only events in New York City on Oct. 20, highlighting Chilean seafood, wine and pisco for US media and industry professionals.

The program includes a Chilean-inspired lunch and a wine and pisco masterclass designed to connect Chilean producers with key US buyers, influencers and trade participants. The lunch, prepared by Ignacia Valdés, executive chef of Tokyo Record Bar, will feature Chilean...

Rock N Roll Sushi Names Rick Gestring CEO to Lead Next Growth Phase

Rock N Roll Sushi has named Rick Gestring as its next Chief Executive Officer (CEO), succeeding Craig LeMieux, who has led the brand since 2023.

“Rock N Roll Sushi’s unique American-style sushi brand positioning, coupled with an electrifying restaurant experience and creative menu offerings, have created a tremendously loyal fan following.”, said Gestring. “I look forward to leading the brand, in collaboration with our incredible franchisees and support teams, as together we turn up the volume on growth and expansion...

NOAA Warns Strong El Niño Will Reshape US Fisheries, From West Coast Tuna and Squid to Gulf Oysters

NOAA Fisheries says this El Niño will likely affect fisheries in every US region, with the West Coast and Pacific Islands expected to feel it most directly. Impacts could last months or years after the event ends.

NOAA forecasters announced in June that El Niño had formed. As of October they put the chance of a "very strong event" this fall and winter at more than 83%. The agency expects it to last through early spring 2027...

Sernapesca Names Pablo Ortiz Lima Acting National Director

Pablo Ortiz Lima, Sernapesca’s deputy director of fisheries, assumed leadership of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service on an interim basis effective Oct. 7, the agency announced.

Ortiz Lima is a fisheries engineer (UCSC) with a master’s degree in aquatic resources management (PUCV) and more than 20 years’ experience in the national and international fishing sector. His career at Sernapesca began in 2010 at the regional directorate in Los Lagos. From 2014 to 2019 he served as regional fisheries control officer before taking a post as compliance...

NAA Urges Senate to Strip Commercial Fishing Vessel Loans From Farm Bill

The National Aquaculture Association (NAA) is asking the Senate Agriculture Committee to remove a Farm Bill provision that would open USDA farm operating loans to commercial fishing vessels. It argues the change would draw on a limited pool of agricultural funding and slow loans for the farmers the program was built to serve.

In an Oct. 13 letter to Chairman John Boozman (R-AR) and Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), the NAA targeted Section 5216 of S.5526, the Agricultural Act of 2026...

Global Supply Chain for Squid Calls for Better Governance, Scientific Cooperation and Traceability

Squid fishing, for almost every species and in almost every area of the globe, has been increasing in recent years. According to the 2023 Global Fishing Watch study, “Fishing Through the Cracks: The Unregulated Nature of Global Squid Fisheries,” squid-fishing vessels logged between 149,000 and 251,000 vessel-days annually from 2017 to 2020, marking a 68 percent increase in fishing effort in just three years. Notably, up to 86 percent of that global squid fishing occurs in unregulated waters, which mostly lack regional or national management...

ANALYSIS: September US Shrimp Import Estimates Point to 14.0% Annual Increase

August official US shrimp imports totaled 175.7 million lbs against an Expana estimate of 176.3 million lbs, in line at the aggregate level. Peeled volume was the main variance, landing at 97.3 million lbs against an upper bound of 93.4 million lbs, though the gap remained within a 5% band. The export-led model underestimated the August total by 9.2 million lbs, also a variance of less than 5%...

Agri-Food Europe 2027: New Venue, New Mandate

Agrifood Europe returns on March 3–4, 2027 at Capital C, Amsterdam’s former Diamond Exchange, under the banner Leading through permanent volatility.

The world of procurement has once again evolved. Alongside controlling costs, teams are now expected to protect supply, manage risk and support growth, in markets that are in constant volatility.

Day one looks at leadership: how far procurement is involved in business decisions, the skills teams need, and how they work with finance and operations. Sessions also cover where AI is delivering value

Ruby Seas USA Names Audrey Ryan VP of Sales and Marketing

Ruby Seas USA has appointed Audrey Ryan as its new Vice President of Sales and Marketing, the company announced.

Founded in Canada with direct access to North Atlantic lobster and snow crab, Ruby Seas has grown into an international seafood business, shipping through 42 ports to retail, wholesale and international markets. The company also operates seafood processing and export facilities in the Caribbean.

“We have spent decades building the relationships, products and infrastructure to serve our customers worldwide, including a seafood processing and...

Wellboat Runs Aground Near Aysén Salmon Farm in Southern Chile, 14 Crew Evacuated

A live-fish carrier operated by Naviera Detroit Chile ran aground on rocks near a salmon farming site in Chile's Aysén region on Monday, leaving the vessel partially submerged. Authorities evacuated all 14 crew without injury and have so far detected no fuel spill.

The wellboat Vali struck rocks around Isla Verdugo, about 18 nautical miles southeast of Melinka in the Guaitecas commune, while supporting operations at the Serrano farming center, according to the Chilean Navy. The Aysén Maritime Governorate received...

ASC Steps up Vietnam Support Ahead of New Farm Standard Shift

The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) is stepping up support for Vietnam’s aquaculture industry as producers prepare to transition to its new Farm Standard. A recent engagement session in Can Tho drew nearly 200 participants from across the sector, including producers, processors, exporters and other stakeholders.

The meeting focused on how the new certification requirements will be implemented in practice. The Farm Standard consolidates requirements that were previously spread across multiple species-specific standards into a single global framework, a significant shift in how ASC...

US Black Cod Prices Rise to 2,500 Yen Per Kilo, Sales Steady Driven by Perceived Value

As of early October, the domestic wholesale price for U.S.-sourced black cod in the 4–5 lb size range is between 2,400 and 2,500 yen/kg ($15.18-15.81/kg)—an increase from the approximately 1,800 yen/kg ($11.38/kg) seen as recently as this spring. This rise reflects a global trend of higher fish prices, and for now, movement within the Japanese market remains steady.

However, some traders have expressed concern, noting, "There are...

Andfjord Salmon Completes First Dedicated Post-Smolt Cycle, Sells 390 Tonnes to Eidsfjord Sjøfarm

Andfjord Salmon has completed its first production cycle dedicated solely to post-smolt, the first in pool K3 at its Kvalnes site on Andøya, Norway. The company sold the fish to regional farmer Eidsfjord Sjøfarm, which transferred about 390 tonnes of post-smolt into ocean net pens in the Vesterålen region...

MSU to Lead New Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish

Mississippi State University will lead its new Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish through a five-year award, with an initial obligation of $8 million for the first year, from the U.S. Department of State to advance research and innovation that strengthen global aquatic food systems and create benefits for U.S. agriculture, industry, and food security.

The Fish Innovation Lab will be led by MSU’s Global Center for Aquatic Health and Food Security, or GCAHFS, a university center reporting to MSU’s Division of Agriculture...

American Seafoods Flags Five Trends Set to Reshape Seafood in 2027

American Seafoods has outlined five trends it expects to shape the seafood industry in 2027, drawing on developments across its customer base and markets in North America, Europe and Asia.

The company supplies processors, distributors and foodservice customers across those regions. Its product portfolio includes frozen-at-sea Wild Alaska pollock and Pacific hake fillets, surimi, roe, fishmeal and fish oil, giving it visibility into demand trends across seafood markets and supply chains.

“When you look at the biggest conversations happening in food right now — protein...

Trump's Alaska Rally Brought Pardons and Endorsements, but Little on Seafood

In a nearly 90-minute speech that included expected hyperbole and some outright inaccuracies, Trump addressed a crowded sports center with a capacity of 3,500 in Wasilla, a small town north of Anchorage.

"Nobody's done more for Alaska than Donald J. Trump," Trump said as he opened the event. "That I can tell you."

The speech mixed endorsements of Republicans, mockery of Democrats and some of his greatest hits from rallies around the country, Alaska Public Media reported...

Trans-Ocean Products Names Virgil Roehl VP of Finance, Adds Logistics Manager Stephanie Colvin

Trans-Ocean Products has named Virgil Roehl Vice President (VP) of Finance and Stephanie Colvin Logistics Manager, bringing additional financial and supply‑chain expertise to the Washington–based surimi manufacturer.

Roehl joins from Twin City Foods, where he served as VP of Finance. His background also includes financial and supply‑chain roles at Washington Mutual and Boeing. As VP of Finance, Roehl will oversee Trans‑Ocean’s accounting and financial operations.

Colvin has nearly 20 years of supply‑chain and customer‑service experience and previously held several...

SalmonChile and Industry Move to Close Out New Dive Safety Standard Ahead of Chile's New Diving Law

Chile's salmon industry association SalmonChile and a dozen producers and service providers are finishing the technical work on a new diving safety standard. It comes as a new national law takes effect for the sector.

SalmonChile led a Dive Working Group (Mesa de Buceo) meeting in Puerto Varas focused on the technical close-out and integration of its Diving Operations Safety Standard 3.0. The meeting was part of the association's 2026–2027 Diving Strategic Plan. It drew representatives from Australis, Blumar, Camanchaca, Cooke...

FDA Warns California Seafood Processor Over Repeat HACCP Failures

The US Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning letter to Ocean Pride Seafood Inc. of Ventura, California. It cites repeated seafood HACCP violations, nearly three years without sanitation-monitoring records, and insanitary conditions found during a spring inspection.

The letter, dated Sept. 11 and posted Oct. 13, followed an inspection of the company's processing facility from March 23 through April 1, 2026. It went to CEO and owner Thomas G. Moore. FDA found the facility's ready-to-eat products adulterated because they were prepared, packed... 

Appeals Court Dismisses Maine Lobster Suit Over Seafood Watch 'Red' Rating

The US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit has dismissed a defamation lawsuit Maine lobster groups filed against the Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation over its Seafood Watch recommendation to avoid American lobster. In a judgment entered October 9, the court reversed the district court's denial of the aquarium's motion to dismiss and remanded with instructions to dismiss the complaint.

The ruling rests on the "group defamation rule." Under that rule, a defamatory statement about a large group is not actionable unless the statement or its context...

The Retail Rundown: Grocery Inflation Eases, Protein Trends Diverge

The latest Consumer Price Index (CPI), released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), offered a modest reprieve for grocery shoppers in September. While the overall food index held steady, retail feature data reveal a more uneven picture across protein categories.

Food-at-home prices eased 0.1% in September, while the index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs declined 0.5%, led by a 1.0% drop in beef prices. Still, the broader trend remains upward, as grocery prices were 1.8% higher than a year ago.

Foodservice inflation continues to run hotter...

CBP Cracks Down on Tuna Origin Scheme, Targets Nearly $9 Million in Penalties

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) says it has shut down a tuna country-of-origin scheme that let importers avoid duties and tariffs. It has recovered about $1.3 million so far and is pursuing roughly $8.9 million more in penalties.

CBP's Agriculture and Prepared Products Center of Excellence and Expertise (APP) in Miami led the investigation, the agency said in an October 8 release. It began with questions about the true origin of imported tuna. Investigators found that foreign-flagged...

$98M Upgrade at Seattle’s Terminal 91 to Serve North Pacific Factory Trawlers and Motherships

A decades-long project to upgrade berths 6 and 8 at Terminal 91 is now complete and has been in use for nearly a month.

The $98 million upgrade included demolition of 62,250 square feet of condemned existing timber apron and 830 feet of seawall, removal and relocation of existing gangway, floats and boathouse, replacing existing small office structures, and reconstruction of a concrete apron structure tested to hold 600 pounds per square foot to support heavy lifts needed by the ships that make...

Russia Opens Crab Exports to Mexico as It Looks to Replace Lost US Market

Russia is searching for new buyers for its crab as demand stays strong. Beyond Asia, it is counting on growth in supplies to countries that have not joined the sanctions regime against Russia.

This year Russia shipped crab to Mexico for the first time. A first batch of about 4 tonnes was delivered at the start of the year, according to Russian web service Agroexpert. Exact figures haven't been disclosed. Analysts see this as only the beginning and expect volumes to rise significantly in the short...