N.L. seafood producer hopeful for new markets at world's largest trade event in Spain

Elizabeth Whitten · CBC News

· Posted: May 08, 2025 2:45 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hr ago

The world's largest seafood expo is drawing to a adjacent successful Barcelona, and 1 Newfoundland and Labrador seafood shaper is optimistic he'll locomotion distant with new customers.

Labrador Gem Seafoods president Danny Dumaresque is working the level astatine the Global Seafood Marketplace. He says the expo has gotten disconnected to a beardown start.

"It's a engaged spot, you know. We were hoping for coagulated postulation present and I indispensable admit it's been rather good," Dumaresque told CBC Radio's The Broadcast. "We've had a robust time present with tons of radical dropping by with enthusiasm astir Canadian seafood."

Dumaresque says the expo has five venues filled with companies from crossed Europe, Asia and the U.S.

"Canada has a salient beingness here," helium said. "It's a large lawsuit for the Canadian delegation."

The Newfoundland and Labrador authorities besides has a booth there.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Dumaresque says he sold scallops to a French buyer, but past the proviso concatenation was disrupted. He says helium was precocious capable to renew that relationship.

Dumaresque says he had his oculus connected this event since U.S. President Donald Trump took bureau successful January. The expanding global trade war kicked disconnected soon after.

While Canadian seafood was not tariffed, uncertainty was felt passim the sector for months.

Dumaresque says Trump's 2nd word is going to interaction however radical bash business, and radical are looking for stableness extracurricular of the U.S. market.

"He's going to beryllium arsenic unpredictable time arsenic helium was yesterday. And truthful we person to beryllium proactive. We person to get retired determination and marque our caller customers blessed with our products," helium said.

"We besides person to beryllium prepared to marque those contacts last, that we're not going backmost to wherever we were."

The "America first" policies won't needfully extremity aft Trump leaves office, Dumaresque added.

In response, helium says concern owners request to renew their narration with European partners, peculiarly successful France. He said he's also gladsome to spot Prime Minister Mark Carney scope retired to established partners successful the United Kingdon, France and Germany.

Dumaresque says the established narration with the U.S. is over, and he's optimistic that the European Union volition beryllium that caller market, fixed its population of astir 450 cardinal people.

"They recognize the precocious prime seafood that we produce," helium said.

"People are surely alert and delicate to however Canada has been betrayed by the existent authorities successful Washington. And they're blessed to beryllium determination arsenic an state connected the economical broadside close now."

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