China’s intention to give 25 percent rates to Canada seafood The products add another layer of uncertainty to an industry already threatened by the functions of the United States, according to representatives of the sector in the Atlantic Canada.
China announced on Saturday the retaliation rates in response to the Canadian area of 100 percent of all Chinese electric vehicles and 25 percent on steel and aluminum.
And, while 25 percent of the North -Americans on Canadian seafood and other products are paused until April 2, Chinese functions must take effect on March 20 on a long list of products such as lobster, snow crab and shrimp.
In an interview on Monday, Kris Vascotto, executive director of the new Scotia Seafood Alliance, called China’s Move a « very strategic success » in the fish and seafood sector of the Canada Atlantic.
« This will be presented as a challenge, there is no doubt, » said Vascotto. « Essentially the landscape has changed essentially. The announcement is another clear demonstration that we have seen in recent months that commercial actions have reactions. «
Vascotto, the organization of which represents 135 processors and expeditionaries based on the coast, said that the resulting price volatility is expected to affect the « supply chain » to the gathering.
He said that Chinese functions will affect the lobster and snow crab, as well as niche products such as sea cucumber, woodpecker and shrimp.
« In some ways, these fare costs will have to be absorbed so that we continue to move the product, » Vascotto said. « We can certainly expect a pretty volatile season to appear. »
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According to the Federal Government, China is the second largest fish and seafood export market in Canada after the United States, with $ 1.3 billion in products sent to the Asian nation by 2024.
The federal figures show that the main exports of Canada seafood in China in 2023 were lobster at $ 569 million, the crab at $ 300 million and the shrimp at $ 262 million, representing 78 % of all seafood exports in this country.
Nat Richard, executive director of the Lobster Processors Association, an NB -based group, which represents 25 frozen lobster processors and crab products in Nou Brunswick, Nova Scotia and PEI, said that while everyone is « a bit shaken », impacts will probably be more sensitive to companies that send living lobsters to international markets. Richard said exports to the United States of frozen lobster stood at 80 percent last year, while those in China represented three percent.
However, he said that the effects will vary between individual processing plants.
« At the general level, it is a small slice of the frozen lobster market, but for some individual plants they do some business in China. The export profile varies from plant to plant. »
Richard said bets are higher for US rates processors due to a highly integrated supply chain.
On March 4, Donald Trump’s administration imposed 25 percent rates on almost all Canadian and Mexican imports, with an amount of 10 percent of Canadian energy. But last week, after days of market chaos, Trump signed an executive order that was delayed until next month these rates for goods (such as seafood) that meet the requirements of origin of origin by virtue of the free trade agreement between Canada in the United States and Mexico.
Richard said that much of the lobster trapped by fishermen in Maine, which represents about 85 percent of the north -American harvest, is processed by Canadian plants.
« Whether we have a rate or not we will continue to supply the market … but obviously there is the concern that it will affect the market, it could weigh on demand. »
Meanwhile, Stewart Lamont, CEO of Tangier Lobster Company Ltd. In Tangier, he said that the 25 percent of China’s rate is more than a seven percent of the added value of the seven percent and nine percent percentage imposed by the country.
« It is substantial to say the least and it comes at a time when we are already heading to the North -American rates, » said Lamont, whose vessels live in 13 countries around the world.
The company is located just over an hour from Air Freight Services at Halifax Stanfield International Airport and Lamont said that it has been successful for about 40 years in the diversification of its export markets. It currently does not send a product to the United States and around 15 percent in China.
« We have always tried to be diversified and all our eggs are not in the Chinese basket that is safe, » he said.
However, there are companies that send most of their alive lobster to China, and Lamont said it would make things difficult because the new markets are not obtained during the night.
« All these things require time, money, marketing and creativity, so the pivot is harder than people might think, » he said.
According to the Customs Customs Rate Commission of the State Council, the additional 100 percent rates will be imposed on Canadian rapeseed oil, oil and peas cakes, and 25 percent of additional rates will be applied to pork and aquatic products.
& Copy 2025 The Canadian Press
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