Saving Seafood

Economic Impact

Trump administration reverses course on proposed port fees for Chinese vessels

April 10, 2025 — United States Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer told the Senate Finance Committee on 8 April that the Trump administration was planning to reverse course on the port fees it had previously proposed for Chinese-owned and Chinese-built ships in U.S. ports. 

“[The port fees are] not all going to be implemented. They’re not all going to be stacked,” Greer told U.S. lawmakers, according to Reuters, adding that he wanted to “make sure that we have the right amount of time, the right incentives, to bring shipbuilding here without impacting our economy.”

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Trump pauses tariffs on most countries, but raises tariffs on China to 125 percent

April 9, 2025 — U.S. President Donald Trump has announced a 90-day pause on tariffs for most countries targeted by his “reciprocal” tariff action but raised tariffs on Chinese exports to 125 percent after the country promised retaliatory tariffs of its own.

Both China and Europe have announced retaliatory tariffs on goods from the U.S. as sweeping tariffs announced on 2 April by U.S. President Donald Trump were set to take effect on 9 April.

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Experts see impact of U.S. tariffs in cargo level and container booking forecasts

April 9, 2025 —  Retail, shipping, and logistics industry stakeholders are already seeing the impacts of U.S. President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff program and warn of more to come.

Trump first announced a set of sweeping tariffs on 2 April that were going to hit every country with tariffs ranging from 10 percent to 50 percent. A later announcement on 9 April paused those tariffs for most countries, while raising tariffs against China to 125 percent.

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US federal funding cuts eliminating traditionally steady purchases of seafood

April 9, 2025 — Massive funding cuts that U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has made to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) Cooperative Program are cutting off traditionally reliable buyers of the nation’s seafood.

The LFPA cuts amount to an estimated USD 1.13 billion (EUR 1 billion) and are hampering the ability of food banks across the nation to feed local populations with safe, fresh food options, including local seafood.

Read the full article at SeadfoodSource

Florida cold-chain logistics company issues strategic response to U.S. tariffs

April 8, 2025 — Ft. Pierce, Florida, U.S.A.-based Burnsed Trucking, which specializes in less-than-truckload (LTL) and full-truckload (FTL) seafood logistics, has issued a strategic response to the U.S. tariffs. 

According to CEO Fred Baedorf, a major shift in global seafood sourcing and distribution has been taking place in the U.S. since before the Trump administration’s tariff program was announced.

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Customs guidance on Trump tariffs appears to give domestic seafood a slight break

April 7, 2025 — A bulletin issued by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) providing additional guidance on U.S. President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs has revealed importers have until 27 May to bring goods onshore to avoid additional fees – and that U.S.-origin seafood will be given a break on tariffed value when re-imported.

Trump issued sweeping tariffs hitting virtually every country on 2 April – a move that will affect billions of dollars of seafood imports. The U.S. imports far more seafood than it produces; according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the country imported USD 25.3 billion (EUR 23.1 billion) worth of seafood products in 2023, resulting in a trade deficit of USD 20.3 billion (EUR 18.6 billion).

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China hits all US goods with 34 percent tariff, escalating Trump trade war

April 4, 2025 — China’s Ministry of Finance has announced 34 percent tariffs on all U.S. goods in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest tariff order.

Trump announced sweeping tariffs 2 April targeting nearly every country in the world with a baseline 10 percent tariff. As part of the trade action, China was hit with an additional 34 percent tariff, adding to two existing tariff actions to reach a 54 percent tariff on Chinese goods.

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Bluefina working to gain greater foothold in high-end restaurants with “Wagyu” of tuna

April 4, 2025 — Primetime Seafood President and Owner Rex Ito wants the company’s ranched bluefin tuna products to be seen as the “Wagyu” of the tuna world.

Ito is a more than 30-year veteran of the bluefin tuna industry, and has been a part of a shift in how the species is brought to market. He told SeafoodSource at Seafood Expo North America, which ran from 16 to 18 March in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A., at the start of his career he was mainly selling wild caught tuna, and he now works in ranched tuna produced by Bluefina – of which he is the exclusive distributor.

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US grocers, restaurants sound alarm on Trump tariffs, inflation

April 3, 2025 — U.S. retail and restaurant operators said they are concerned about the impact U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on imports from several countries will have on food prices, consumers, and businesses.

The U.S restaurant industry, which is already struggling financially with multiple bankruptcies, restaurant closures, and higher food prices, will now have to navigate the fallout of tariffs in order to keep their doors open, National Restaurant Association (NRA) President and CEO Michelle Korsmo said.

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Trump’s latest tariff order hits billions in US seafood imports from top source countries

April 3, 2025 — On 2 April, U.S. President Donald Trump followed through on earlier promises to enact “reciprocal” tariffs, announcing a set of sweeping tariffs that will hit nearly every country in the world – and could cost U.S. seafood importers billions of dollars.

Trump, who declared his tariff action “Liberation Day,” signed an order to enact 10 percent tariffs on all countries by 5 April and additional tariffs on a range of countries that will take effect 9 April. In its official fact sheet about the tariffs, the White House said the tariffs are intended to “rebuild the economy and restore national and economic security.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource