US states Maryland and Virginia lawmakers call on Biden to act on Venezuelan crabmeat imports

Published Oct 28, 2024

Tridge summary

U.S. lawmakers from Maryland and Virginia have urged President Joe Biden to launch an investigation into the surge of crabmeat imports from Venezuela, expressing concerns over the negative impact on the domestic seafood industry. They pointed out the challenges domestic producers face due to mislabeling and contamination of Venezuelan crabmeat, which has led to a significant strain on the industry and a 62% decrease in the domestic supply. In the first half of 2024, over USD 44 million worth of crabmeat was imported from Venezuela. The lawmakers also highlighted the decline in crabbing in the Chesapeake Bay and called for fairer seafood trade practices, better traceability, and the expansion of the Seafood Import Monitoring Program. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently warned a Venezuela-based company for not meeting food safety standards.

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Original content

Federal lawmakers from the U.S. states of Maryland and Virginia are calling on U.S. President Joe Biden to take action on a surge of crabmeat imported from Venezuela.In a joint letter, the congressional delegations from Maryland and Virginia asked the president to launch an investigation into how Venezuelan crabmeat imports are hurting the domestic seasood industry. “Domestic seafood producers in Maryland and Virginia have experienced significant strain due to the influx of imported Venezuelan crabmeat, some of which is mislabeled and contaminated,” the legislators said. “In 2018, Venezuelan crabmeat mislabeled as originating from Maryland caused an outbreak of foodborne illnesses, resulting in multiple hospitalizations. Since then, the supply of imported crabmeat has increased, threatening the future livelihood of domestic industry and creating the conditions for a 62 percent decrease in the domestic supply.”More than USD 44 million (EUR 41 million) worth of crabmeat was imported ...

Source: Seafoodsource