In 2026, the Canadian seafood industry expects to resolve trade disputes with China.

Recently, Jason McLinton, the Executive Director of the Fisheries Council of Canada, stated in an interview with UCN that the external relations between China and Canada have improved significantly compared to a year ago. The China-Canada Joint Economic and Trade Committee has restarted dialogue, and the overall atmosphere is undergoing positive changes. In October of this year, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with Chinese top leaders during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. This was the first formal meeting of leaders between the two countries since 2017. Some observers have called this meeting a "turning point" for China-Canada trade relations. McLinton said that the current tone of communication between the two countries has changed significantly compared to a year ago, and he himself has been meeting with Chinese commercial officials to discuss issues related to seafood trade. McLinton pointed out that China is the second-largest export market for Canadian seafood, second only to the United States. However, since China imposed an additional 25% tariff on Canadian seafood in March 2025, Canada's share in the Chinese market has declined significantly. Data shows that in 2024, Canada exported 96,554 tons of seafood to China, worth 931.5 million US dollars. However, in the first nine months of 2025, Canada's exports to China were only 57,929 tons, worth 492.1 million US dollars, significantly lower than the 73,151 tons and 746 million US dollars in the same period of 2024. As the highest-value category in Canada's exports to China, lobster exports performed worse in 2025 compared to 2024. In the first nine months of 2025, China imported 13,677 tons of Canadian lobster, worth 327.8 million US dollars, a decrease of 39% and 38% respectively. With the most-favored-nation rate and value-added tax added, the comprehensive tariff rate for Canadian lobster reached as high as 41%. McLinton pointed out that it is not just lobster that is affected by the 25% tariff. Cold-water shrimp is the second-largest seafood export from Canada to China. In 2024, Canada exported 25,945 tons of frozen cold-water shrimp to China, worth 130 million US dollars; while in the first nine months of 2025, only 17,315 tons were exported, worth 77.5 million US dollars. Moreover, snow crab is also one of the main export products of British Columbia, with annual exports to China exceeding 100 million Canadian dollars (about 72.3 million US dollars), which have also been severely affected by the tariff. The dock price of Canadian geoduck, a high-end shellfish favored by the Chinese catering market, has fallen by 35% due to the Chinese tariff. "Despite the tariff pressure, the demand for Canadian seafood in the Chinese market remains strong. Canadian wild-caught seafood is considered an absolute high-end product," McLinton said. "Chinese customers still want to do business with us, but under high tariffs, we are indeed very difficult. The seafood industry hopes to resolve tariff barriers as soon as possible, and our trade negotiations with China also face many challenges. These issues may take time to resolve."