August 9, 2013 — Stavis Seafoods, in Boston, relies on imports. The company ships more than 36 million pounds of seafood every year, and most of that is sourced overseas. The company's growth – eight fold in the last three decades – highlights how imports can actually help America's domestic economy.
CNBC's "Made in America" recently spotlighted Boston's Stavis Seafood. The 84 year old company has grown tremendously in recent decades, and their operations have shifted too. The company's CEO, Richard Stavis, explains that, "In 1985, about eighty percent of what we did was domestic fish, and twenty percent was imported. At this point, it's flipped. We've seen that importing seafood has really helped us grow our business."
There's a good reason why that shift has helped Stavis, and similar companies, grow and profit. Consumers demanding seafood year-round can't always find those options domestically. Imports from outside the United States keep markets, and profits, flowing smoothly. According to research, 16 million Americans are employed directly by imports, and more than half of firms involved in imports are small, American-owned businesses.