Nearly a quarter of seafood exports from B.C. will be subject to a new 25 per cent tariff – this one from China.
In addition to tariffs that B.C. seafood producers could face in exporting seafood to the U.S. a couple of weeks from now, China is also now imposing tariffs on Canadian seafood.
The Chinese tariffs are in place now, and seafood producers are waiting to see what happens on April 2, when American tariffs are expected to be set.
The impact on B.C. seafood producers will depend on how long the tariffs last, said Christina Burridge, executive director for the BC Seafood Alliance.
“The longer it lasts, the worse it is,” she said.
In response to Canadian tariffs imposed on Chinese electric vehicles, steel and aluminum, China responded with counter-tariffs on Canadian products, including a 25 per cent charge on seafood.
Of the $1.3 billion worth of seafood exports from B.C. in 2024, the U.S. accounted for 61 per cent, with China at 22 per cent.
China accounted for $400 million in sales in 2023, Burridge said, with Dungeness crab being the most valuable at $230 million, followed by geoduck at $75 million. Other species sold to China include sea cucumbers and spot prawns.
The impact of both Chinese and American tariffs will have different degrees of impacts according to species.
“What would be particularly caught up in the U.S. would be Pacific halibut and ground fish of all species because those go fresh down the I-5 corridor,” Burridge said, referring to the American highway.
The biggest impact of Chinese tariffs will be on Dungeness crab and geoduck.
“At the moment, both the crab fleet and the geoduck fleets are tied up, waiting to see what happens,” Burridge said.
Japan used to be the biggest market for B.C. seafood like spot prawns, Dungeness crab and geoduck, but now it’s China. It all comes down to who is willing to pay the highest price.
“We sell to the U.S. I-5 corridor and to China because that’s where the money is, and the transportation logistics are really good,” Burridge said.
There will be opportunities to increase sales into other markets, like Japan.
“We’ll see more go to Japan this year, but it will be at a lower prices,” Burridge said.
At the national level, the U.S. is the biggest market for Canadian seafood, with 64 per cent of Canadian seafood exports going to the U.S. China is the second largest market, at 19 per cent.
Lobster, salmon and crab are the three most valuable Canadian seafood exports. While most of the lobster exports would come from Nova Scotia, much of the salmon would come from B.C., most of which would be farmed salmon.
