Canada's Fisheries Minister to Visit China Ahead of Seafood Tariff Deadline
Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson will travel to China at the end of the month to discuss market access before a January agreement suspending tariffs on Canadian lobster and crab expires at year's end.
Canada’s Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson is scheduled to travel to China at the end of the month to discuss market access for Canadian fish and seafood products. The visit comes as a suspension on Chinese tariffs affecting Canadian lobster and crab is set to expire at the end of the year, creating uncertainty for the industries involved.
Under an agreement reached in January, China suspended a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian lobster and crab until the end of the year. The suspended duties impact approximately 80 per cent of Canadian seafood exports to China. Federal figures show that $1.3 billion in Canadian seafood exports went to China in 2024. According to Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), Canada exported $8.5 billion in fish and seafood to 114 countries last year.
The tariffs were originally imposed in 2025 after Ottawa placed its own tariffs on Chinese steel, aluminum, and electric vehicles. As part of the January agreement, China agreed to lower tariffs on canola seed and suspend them on seafood and some agricultural products. In exchange, Canada agreed to allow the import of 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles per year at a much lower tariff rate.
Minister Thompson is expected to make an announcement regarding the upcoming trip in Moncton, N.B., alongside her Atlantic Canadian counterparts on Thursday.