Commercial Fishing NAICS 1141

Jul 27, 2025 - Tariff Uncertainty Impacting Seafood Trade

• The Trump administration in July announced a sweeping 35% tariff on all Canadian goods entering the US, a move that could send shockwaves through the seafood industries on both sides of the US-Canada border, Seafood News reports. The tariff is slated to take effect on August 1. The 35% tariff marks a significant increase from the 25% levy Trump imposed on Canada earlier this year, which was later rescinded. However, products previously compliant under the United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) agreement – negotiated during Trump’s first term – would be exempt from tariffs, which would significantly mitigate the impact of the tariffs on many seafood products. The US commercial fishing industry, notably Maine’s lobster industry, expressed worries over a tariff on Canadian goods earlier this year. Maine’s former Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher said the tariffs could “cripple” the state’s lobster fishery.
• In July, the US Coast Guard announced the renaming of its operational districts from numerical to geographic designations, according to a press release. The change is the first since the numbered system was established during World War II. Updating operational districts to regional names aims to more clearly align districts with their areas of responsibility, facilitate collaboration with interagency partners, and ensure the public and maritime stakeholders can easily find and understand the districts where they live, recreate, and operate. The geographic names, approved by the Department of Homeland Security, are: District 1: USCG Northeast District; District 5: USCG East District; District 7: USCG Southeast District; District 8: USCG Heartland District; District 9: USCG Great Lakes District; District 11: USCG Southwest District; District 13: USCG Northwest District; District 14: USCG Oceania District; District 17: USCG Arctic District. The change will not impact operations or change existing geographical district boundaries, per the USCG.

• Responding to concerns about the impact of offshore wind projects, US Wind has proposed $20 million to support commercial fishing in Maryland and Delaware, USA Today reports. The funding includes support for harbor maintenance, fishing businesses, gear development, and direct compensation for potential revenue impacts on fishermen. In a memorandum of understanding reached with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control the company said it would provide funding to commercial fishermen “above and beyond what is required by the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management." US Wind has proposed building up to 121 wind turbines on its lease in federal waters 10 miles east of Ocean City, Maryland. However, President Trump on day one in office signed an executive order to slow the growth in the country’s wind generation capacity, casting doubt on the future of the project.
• Tariffs on imported seafood would cause prices to rise, making US products more competitive in a market dominated by lower priced imports, Aquaculture North America reports. The US is a net importer of fish and seafood, with imports accounting for more than 79% of the seafood Americans consumed in 2020, according to NOAA Fisheries. The value of seafood imports exceeded exports in 2023, creating a trade deficit to about $20.3 billion. The rise in imports has put pressure on domestic seafood prices and limits revenue for domestic aquaculture operations. However, tariffs cut both ways. Because Canada and China are the top two destinations for US seafood exports, US catches are vulnerable to reciprocal tariffs. Maine and Massachusetts account for 99% of Canada’s lobster imports, while China’s imports of US salmon nearly tripled between 2020 and 2023, per the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service.