China-U.S. squid trade stagnates, as companies accelerate expansion into domestic and Southeast Asian markets

Published 2025년 5월 2일

Tridge summary

The China-US squid trade is experiencing major disruptions due to high tariffs, with Chinese squid products facing a total tax rate of up to 170% when exported to the US, and China imposing reciprocal tariffs on US imports. This has resulted in a near halt of US orders for Chinese squid and a significant decline in US squid exports to China. Consequently, Chinese companies are redirecting their focus to Southeast Asian markets and domestic sales, though these options yield lower profits. This situation is causing a rebalancing of the global squid industry, with potential long-term effects on the seafood supply chain if these trade barriers continue.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

Tariffs of over 170% "freeze" China-US squid trade Currently, China's squid products exported to the US are facing unprecedented high tax barriers - 25% Section 301 tariffs, 20% fentanyl-linked tariffs, plus 125% "reciprocal" tariffs, with a total tax rate of up to 170%. In contrast, China also imposed a 125% counter-tariff on squid products imported from the United States (except for bonded purposes). This has caused squid products to be the first to suffer from the squeeze on China-US seafood trade. "Substantial suspension". A person in charge of a large squid processing company in Zhejiang revealed: "Since the end of the Boston Seafood Show, US orders have almost returned to zero. Competitors in the same industry are also in a wait-and-see state and dare not sign orders at all." An exporter in Fujian also admitted that the year-on-year growth in exports from January to February 2025 (2,155 tons vs. 2,031 tons) is just the "export rush" effect before the tariff takes effect. ...

Source: Foodmate