Chinese seafood tariffs will 'destroy' business, says N.S. company official

A Hacketts Cove, N.S., seafood shaper fears the looming instauration of Chinese tariffs could person a devastating effect connected his business.

China has said it volition impose a 25 per cent tariff connected Canadian seafood effectual March 20 in retaliation for levies Canada introduced successful October on Chinese-made electric vehicles, alloy and aluminum products. The database of implicit 40 products facing the tariff includes lobster, crab, shrimp, halibut and more.

Sam Gao, president of Atlantic Sea Cucumber Ltd., said helium was already acrophobic astir the 25 per cent tariffs U.S. President Donald Trump has been threatening since helium took bureau successful January. But helium wasn't expecting the announcement earlier this period that China was besides going to slap tariffs connected Canadian seafood.

"It volition wholly destruct our business," said Gao, whose institution exports products made with oversea cucumber, a tiny marine carnal with leathery tegument known for its wellness benefits successful accepted Chinese medicine. Its largest markets are the U.S. and China.

Nova Scotia Fisheries Minister Kent Smith said Wednesday that it's excessively aboriginal to share specifics connected how $200 cardinal acceptable speech successful the 2025-26 provincial fund to assistance respond to tariffs will beryllium spent. 

"We don't cognize precisely what that enactment looks similar astatine the moment. It's a spot premature arsenic determination are nary tariffs successful spot astatine the contiguous time," said Smith successful an interview. "We're surely keeping a adjacent oculus connected it. We've had ongoing discussions with manufacture and we'll beryllium determination to enactment arsenic overmuch arsenic we can."

Expanding to different markets

Gao said helium is acrophobic astir Atlantic Sea Cucumber's quality to past tariffs and vie against firms successful Iceland and Norway.

"We person immoderate products successful the U.S. and China astatine the infinitesimal successful the warehouse. But aft we decorativeness that, our terms volition beryllium wholly not competitive," helium said.

Smith said astir 52 per cent of Nova Scotia seafood exports spell southbound of the borderline and 25 per cent go to China, making the menace of tariffs "incredibly worrisome" for the industry.

He said he's been connected aggregate commercialized missions to Asian and European countries looking to diversify the fisheries market, and his section is besides focusing connected expanding markets wrong Canada.

Gao, though, said the oversea cucumber is not typically eaten successful Europe oregon Canada, meaning his institution would person to put successful selling and "market education," something it can't spend to bash portion staring down the threat of going retired of business.

Lobster manufacture making hard decisions

Smith said the tariffs are particularly troublesome for the unrecorded lobster sector. 

"[China] purchased astir $450 cardinal worthy of Nova Scotian unrecorded lobster and truthful the tariff has the imaginable to negatively interaction that merchandise the most," helium said. 

Geoff Irvine, enforcement manager of the Lobster Council of Canada, told CBC's Information Morning Halifax the tariffs airs a important situation to the lobster industry, particularly arsenic companies plan for the engaged spring season.  

"What the terms is going to be, however much, what benignant of labour bash we request to bring successful to nutrient what we're going to merchantability — these are each decisions that are painfully hard erstwhile you're facing a imaginable 25 per cent higher prices to your customers," helium said.