U.S. President Donald Trump instituted an additional 10 percent tariff on Chinese goods on 4 March, following the 10 percent he announced in February, meaning certain goods from China are now subject to a 45 percent import tariff.
The tariffs are causing uncertainty for Chinese seafood firms attempting to find or expand their U.S. customer base, some of which are making the trip from China to the upcoming Seafood Expo North America, which is taking place in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A., from 16 to 18 March.
“We are taking a series of new products, like seafood dumplings, breaded fish, smoked fish, salmon salad products, and a new salmon wellington offering to the show,” said Sara Shi, the export sales manager at Chinese seafood firm Dalian Rich Enterprise Group. “Nobody knows what will happen tomorrow. All trade wars put businesspeople in a hard situation.”
Shi added that Dalian’s sales in the U.S. have been satisfactory so far but that the tariffs could throw a significant wrench into the firm’s operations.
While Chinese firms like Dalian that are conducting business in the U.S. are still waiting to see the full effects of the tariffs, other firms have begun to test the waters in other markets.
Guangdong, China-based Guolian Aquatic and Guangdong Evergreen – a conglomerate which produces and processes fish, shrimp, and aquafeed, – have targeted Southeast Asia and Indonesia in particular as a location that may be able to offer more consistently lucrative business.
Representatives from both firms recently joined a Chinese trade delegation in late 2024 the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, attempting to take advantage of Indonesia President Prabowo Subianto’s promises to turbocharge the Indonesian economy by, among other strategies, opening the doors to Chinese investment.
The Chinese government has also been more proactive in shifting away its reliance on Western markets.
Even before Trump took office, China began sourcing food products away from the West. Regarding seafood specifically, China opened up seafood export access to several African nations, including Uganda, Madagascar, and Sierra Leone, among others.
“Slowly but surely, it seems like China’s finding a path that allows it to rely on international markets, allows it to rely on trade partners, but doesn't create insecurity,” Even Pay, an agriculture analyst at policy research consultancy firm Trivium China, told Bloomberg in January.
