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Concerns are rising within British Columbia’s seafood sector due to impending tariffs from China. Effective March 20, China will implement a 25 percent tariff on seafood exports from Canada.
The BC Seafood Alliance has raised alarms over this development, suggesting that it could have devastating effects on the industry, particularly as China is a significant market that spends approximately $300 million annually on local seafood products.
This tariff is a retaliatory measure responding to Canada’s recently introduced surtax on electric vehicles imported from China, a move that industry leaders are urging the federal government to reassess. “We believed this would foster a better relationship with the Trump administration,” stated Christina Burridge, executive director of the BC Seafood Alliance, reflecting on the decision to impose the electric vehicle tax.
Burridge emphasized that the current situation has not yielded any positive outcomes for the seafood sector, suggesting a reconsideration of such tariffs is urgently needed.
Furthermore, she highlighted the dependence of B.C.’s geoduck clam industry on Chinese exports, pointing out that there are almost no alternative markets available for such products.
While 25 percent U.S. tariffs on Canadian seafood and various other goods have been placed on hold until April 2, the Chinese tariffs slated to take effect on March 20 cover a wide range of seafood items, including lobster, snow crab, and shrimp.
As noted by the federal government, China stands as Canada’s second-largest market for fish and seafood, following the United States, with trade amounting to $1.3 billion in products shipped to China over the past year.
— with files from The Canadian Press
Source
globalnews.ca