Fisheries minister travelling to China ahead of lobster, crab tariff deadline
Canada's fisheries minister will be travelling to China at the end of the month, ahead of a looming tariff deadline affecting the lobster and crab industries.
Market access for Canadian fish, seafood and deepening trade relations are key priorities, spokesperson says
Kate McKenna · CBC News
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Canada's fisheries minister will be travelling to China at the end of the month, ahead of a looming tariff deadline affecting the lobster and crab industries.
As part of an agreement in January, China suspended a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian lobster and crab until the end of the year.
It's still not clear whether the suspension will be extended, leaving the lobster and crab industries uncertain if they will soon have reduced access to a major seafood market.
Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson is planning a trip to China to discuss this and other key topics, her office confirmed on Thursday.
In a statement, a spokesperson said the minister aims to "deepen trade relationships with her counterparts, discuss market access for Canadian fish and seafood products and continue supporting Canadian harvesters and industry to get more seafood to market around the world."
The duties impact about 80 per cent of Canadian seafood exports to China and were imposed in 2025, after Ottawa slapped tariffs on Chinese steel, aluminum and electric vehicles.
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According to Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) trade data, crab and lobster make up the majority of Canada's fish and seafood exports to China.
Federal figures show that $1.3 billion in Canadian seafood exports went to China in 2024.
"China is Canada's second-largest seafood export partner, and predictable market access is imperative to the future success of Canada's fish and seafood industry," said a spokesperson for Thompson in a statement.
"We are growing our trading partnerships and building up Canadian industry to diversify into new markets."
On Thursday, Thompson is expected to make an announcement in Moncton, N.B., alongside her Atlantic Canadian counterparts.
In January, China agreed to lower tariffs on canola seed and suspend them on seafood and some agricultural products, in exchange for Canada allowing the import of 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles per year at a much lower tariff rate.
According DFO, Canada exported $8.5 billion in fish and seafood to 114 countries last year.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kate McKenna is a senior reporter with CBC’s parliamentary bureau in Ottawa, where she covers federal politics. She previously worked for CBC’s The Fifth Estate and in the Halifax, Montreal and Charlottetown newsrooms. Her investigative and breaking news coverage has won five RTDNA awards. She is the author of No Choice: The 30-Year Fight for Abortion on Prince Edward Island.
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