China's looming seafood tariffs just add to 'craziness,' says lobster organization
China will slap 25% tariffs on Canadian seafood products on March 20
Nat Richard said he was stunned when he learned that China was hitting Canada's seafood sector with 25 per cent tariffs.
The tariffs themselves were not very surprising — Canada had placed heavy levies against Chinese electric vehicles, steel and aluminum in the fall, and retaliation was expected.
But Richard, the executive director of the Lobster Processors Association, which has members across the Maritimes, said China's decision simply adds to the disorientation already caused by the unpredictability in trade with the U.S.
"It just adds to the craziness we've been dealing with, the uncertainty," he said in an interview.
While U.S. President Donald Trump is postponing 25 per cent tariffs against most Canadian goods until April 2, China's tariffs will come into effect March 20.
The seafood products China is targeting include crab, shrimp, prawn, clams and dozens more, according to a list from the Canadian government.
Lobster is also on the list. Richard said China only accounted for three per cent of frozen lobster exports in 2024, but live lobster is a different story.
"China is the largest market," he said, adding it rivals the U.S. in terms of demand.
Richard said Statistics Canada data shows the U.S. and China together represented 83 per cent of Canada's lobster exports in 2024, including both live and frozen. Total exports represented $2.49 billion, with the U.S. representing about $1.9 billion and China representing $525 million.
The incoming Chinese tariffs only exacerbate anxiety caused by the uncertainty surrounding U.S. tariffs, Richard said. With the spring fishing season just a matter of weeks away, he said the biggest concern is that U.S. tariffs will hit mid-season.
'That could be very dangerous for the industry,' he said.
The Lobster Council of Canada said it was too early to make an official statement on Sunday.
Stewart Lamont, managing director of Tangier Lobster Company in Nova Scotia, said he was disappointed and slightly surprised by news of the Chinese tariffs. But he said he wasn't shocked, knowing retaliation was on the way.
Still, he said the trade war with the U.S. along with a busy holiday season have been too distracting to prepare for potential tariffs from China.
"We've hardly had time to prepare for the tariffs potentially coming from America," he said. "It's a volatile, fluid, international market, so all of this is happening while the seafood industry has a lot on its plate."
However, Lamont's company has been working on diversifying its markets for 30 years, and hasn't sold to the U.S. at all in the past two or three years.
Lamont added that China makes up for approximately 15 per cent of exports from his company, and the rest goes to markets across Canada and in Europe.
"It's a lesson that you cannot have all your apples in one box. You need to be diversified."
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With files from Victoria Walton
