Tariff fears and high stakes for Atlantic Canada at the Boston Seafood Expo

Alex Kennedy · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 17, 2025 4:30 AM EDT | Last Updated: 1 infinitesimal ago

Seafood manufacture reps from much than 50 countries are successful Boston for what is usually an breathtaking 3 days of meetings, showcases, and networking astatine the yearly Seafood Expo North America. This year, though, the stakes person ne'er been higher for Atlantic Canadians.

Fears of imaginable industry-rocking tariffs from the United States and China are overshadowing everything happening connected the amusement floor.

Bruce Wilson, a lobster fisherman from New Brunswick, told CBC News he's frightened of what effect tariffs could person connected his concern and his community, and helium hopes helium tin stock that connection with other radical astatine the expo.

"Who's going to sorb that tariff? Whether it's 25 [per cent], 10 per cent, 15, is it conscionable the fisherman? The consumer? Or everybody else?" Wilson said Sunday.

"Even if it's lone 5 per cent … Even the country store needs to support up."

The largest gathering of its benignant connected the continent, Seafood Expo North America gives the world a accidental to research caller markets — thing apical of caput for Canada, and its provinces and territories.

The expo is playing retired during a infinitesimal of imaginable situation for the Canadian seafood landscape, as economic tariffs that would use to seafood loom large, on with uncertainty astir what volition hap if the caller charges bash happen.

Canada exports 67 per cent of its seafood merchandise to the United States, and U.S. President Donald Trump has said tariffs volition resume connected April 2 aft postponing them earlier this month. Meanwhile, China says their 25 per cent tariff volition travel into effect connected Thursday. Both volition use to seafood.

WATCH | Tariffs are already portion of amusement level conversations:

"The 25 per cent is truly affecting the basal profit," Wilson said. "It mightiness beryllium precise unsafe for the livelihood of fishermen."

Neil Targett, portion of the Barry Group of Companies based successful Corner Brook, N.L., said though it's inactive aboriginal in the event, the conversations he's had connected the amusement level truthful acold person each included speech of tariffs. 

"No 1 knows what's truly going to beryllium happening," helium said. "Will it change? It whitethorn alteration galore times betwixt present and then. Everyone's truly nervous."

Relationships volition assistance upwind storm, officials say

Canadian officials opened the amusement by highlighting decades of collaboration betwixt Canada and the United States — and stressing to the crowd that narration volition beryllium adjacent much indispensable successful the future.

"The relationships that we person present are highly important, and we're hoping that each of you are ambassadors for Canada," Bernadette Jordan, Canada's consul general successful Boston and a erstwhile national fisheries minister, told a crowd.

"It's important that we each basal together, and I deliberation this is simply a large spot for america to amusement our strength."

Speaking with CBC News, Jordan said portion of her message to radical astatine the amusement besides focuses connected the effect tariffs could person connected some Canada and the U.S. She says New Englanders mostly recognize that.

"New England gets a batch of its vigor from Canada. They get their location heating, they get their malt and barley for trade beer. You know, there's an atrocious batch of commercialized betwixt the 2 countries, and it is going to interaction consumers," she said.

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston said portion of the amusement volition impact moving done that concern.

"We person an unthinkable merchandise from Atlantic Canada, from Nova Scotia. That merchandise is desired astir the world," helium said.

"The tariffs whitethorn person an interaction connected pricing, but we'll enactment done that. And I'm present to enactment them immoderate mode I can."

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