The government of China announced it is imposing 25 percent tariffs on an array of seafood items from Canada, in what it said was a response to Canadian tariffs on certain goods from China.
China’s Ministry of Finance announced the new tariffs on 8 March, and said the new tariffs are in response to a 100 percent tariff on electric vehicles and a 25 percent tariff on steel and aluminum products from China. Canada announced the set of tariffs in October 2024, and said it plans to tariff a range of goods including rapeseed oil, pork, and seafood.
“Canada's measures seriously violate the rules of the World Trade Organization, are typical protectionist practices, constitute discriminatory measures against China, and seriously damage China's legitimate rights and interests,” China’s Ministry of Finance said in a press release.
China’s list of goods subject to a 25 percent tariff increase includes a range of seafood products, including halibut, crabs, lobster, clams, and shrimp. The new tariffs will be imposed from 20 March 2025.
Lobster is one of Canada’s most valuable exports to China, and per Canada’s trade data the industry shipped CAD 74.3 million (USD 51.4 million, EUR 47.5 million) worth of live, fresh, or chilled lobster to the country in January 2025 alone – making up over half of all exports of the species by value. Live, fresh, or chilled crab was also in the top 25 most valuable exports to China, and in January the country sent CAD 29.4 million (USD 20.3 million, EUR 18.8 million) worth of the product...
