Boston seafood show giving P.E.I. sellers a chance to tout products in the face of tariffs

Raphael Caron · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 18, 2025 12:49 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 minutes ago

Members of the P.E.I. seafood manufacture are attending the Seafood Expo North America successful Boston arsenic they look to grow their horizons successful planetary markets successful effect to the U.S. tariff situation.

This three-day exposition, collectively known arsenic the Boston Seafood Show, is the largest of its benignant successful North America. It gives thousands of buyers and suppliers successful the manufacture the accidental to web and marque deals.

P.E.I. Fisheries, Tourism, Sport and Culture Minister Zack Bell, who is attending the expo, said a batch of the discussions with U.S. representatives sounded the same.

"The large resounding happening that everybody is saying [is] nary 1 wants tariffs. No 1 wants them. The Americans don't privation them. We don't privation them," the curate said.

The P.E.I. Seafood Processors Association estimates P.E.I. exported astir $324 cardinal worthy of seafood products to the U.S. successful 2023, making it an important marketplace for the province.

After U.S. President Donald Trump archetypal threatened to enforce punishing tariffs against Canada, erstwhile premier Dennis King assembled Team P.E.I., composed of 2 twelve authorities officials and manufacture leaders, and hopped connected a autobus for a five-day roadworthy travel done the northeastern U.S. to speech astir what tariffs would mean.

At the time, it was reported that the travel was expected to outgo taxpayers $250,000. CBC News requested a breakdown of the costs and is awaiting a effect from the provincial government.

Bell was contiguous connected that trip, and is present backmost successful Boston.

"We've been telling our suppliers and our producers [to] proceed those conversations with the Americans, but astatine the aforesaid clip research those antithetic markets," the curate said.

"If tariffs bash travel in, past we bash privation our companies to effort to diversify their markets to the grade that they can."

Bell said his biggest astonishment has been the fig of Canadians approaching P.E.I. businesses astatine the Boston show. As overmuch arsenic the manufacture has been trying to propulsion into non-U.S. planetary markets, helium feels these discussions are important.

"In Canada, we don't devour astir apt adjacent capable seafood. And that's truly what we privation to effort to propulsion out… bargain local, bargain often."

Since Trump launched the commercialized war, galore Islanders person started buying much locally. Some retailers are much heavy promoting Canadian products to promote that.