U.S. President-elect Donald Trump proposed big hikes in tariffs on all goods from Canada, Mexico, and China on 25 November in a move that would affect one-fifth of all U.S. seafood imports by value.
Trump, posting on his Truth Social platform, said he would charge tariffs of 25 percent on all products from Mexico and Canada and 10 percent tariffs on goods from China – above any existing tariffs.
“On 20 January, as one of my many first executive orders, I will sign all necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25 percent tariff on all products coming into the United States and its ridiculous open borders,” Trump said on the platform. “This tariff will remain in effect until such time as drugs, in particular fentanyl, and all illegal aliens stop this invasion of our country!”
The U.S. sources the majority of its seafood via imports, and in 2023, the country’s trade deficit reached USD 20.3 billion (EUR 19.3 billion) on USD 25.3 billion (EUR 24.1 billion) in seafood imports. Of that total, USD 3.62 billion (EUR 3.45 billion) worth of imports came from Canada alone, making it the top source of seafood to the U.S.
According to NOAA trade data, the U.S. imported USD 3.56 billion (EUR 3.39 billion) worth of edible seafood from Canada in 2023, comprising over 271 million kilograms of products. It imported a further USD 59.5 million (EUR 56.7 million) in non-edible seafood products, comprising 34 million kilograms of products.
If Trump’s planned 25 percent tariff had been in place, U.S. importers would have paid an additional ...
