China's looming seafood tariffs just add to 'craziness,' says lobster organization

Raechel Huizinga · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 10, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: March 10

Nat Richard said helium was stunned erstwhile he learned that China was hitting Canada's seafood assemblage with 25 per cent tariffs.

The tariffs themselves were not precise astonishing — Canada had placed tariffs against Chinese electrical vehicles, alloy and aluminum successful the fall, and retaliation was expected.

But Richard, the enforcement manager of the Lobster Processors Association, which has members crossed the Maritimes, said China's determination simply adds to the disorientation already caused by the unpredictability successful commercialized with the U.S.

"It conscionable adds to the craziness we've been dealing with, the uncertainty," helium said successful an interview. 

While U.S. President Donald Trump is postponing 25 per cent tariffs against astir Canadian goods until April 2, China's tariffs will travel into effect March 20.

The seafood products China is targeting see crab, shrimp, prawn, clams and dozens more, according to a database from the Canadian government.

Lobster is besides connected the list. Richard said China lone accounted for three per cent of frozen lobster exports successful 2024, but unrecorded lobster is simply a antithetic story.

"China is the largest market," helium said, adding it rivals the U.S. successful presumption of demand.

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Richard said Statistics Canada information shows the U.S. and China unneurotic represented 83 per cent of Canada's lobster exports successful 2024, including some unrecorded and frozen. Total exports represented $2.49 billion, with the U.S. representing astir $1.9 billion and China representing $525 million.

The incoming Chinese tariffs lone exacerbate anxiety caused by the uncertainty surrounding U.S. tariffs, Richard said. With the outpouring sportfishing play conscionable a substance of weeks away, helium said the biggest interest is that U.S. tariffs volition deed mid-season.

'That could beryllium precise unsafe for the industry,' helium said.

The Lobster Council of Canada said it was excessively aboriginal to marque an official statement connected Sunday.

Stewart Lamont, managing manager of Tangier Lobster Company successful Nova Scotia, said helium was disappointed and somewhat amazed by quality of the Chinese tariffs. But helium said helium wasn't shocked, knowing retaliation was connected the way.

Still, helium said the commercialized warfare with the U.S. on with a engaged vacation season have been too distracting to hole for imaginable tariffs from China.

"We've hardly had clip to hole for the tariffs perchance coming from America," helium said. "It's a volatile, fluid, planetary market, truthful each of this is happening portion the seafood manufacture has a batch connected its plate."

However, Lamont's institution has been moving connected diversifying its markets for 30 years, and hasn't sold to the U.S. astatine each successful the past 2 oregon 3 years.

Lamont added that China makes up for astir 15 per cent of exports from his company, and the remainder goes to markets crossed Canada and successful Europe. 

"It's a acquisition that you cannot have all your apples successful 1 box. You request to beryllium diversified."