Seafood industry representatives in Atlantic Canada are urging harvesters and exporters to diversify their markets, as United States President Donald Trump takes office for a second term.
Trump is holding off on his threat to impose 25 percent tariffs on Canadian exports and will instead sign a memorandum ordering U.S. federal agencies to study trade issues.
But Geoff Irvine, director of the Lobster Council of Canada, says the new U.S. administration is sending a message that Canada’s seafood industry should shift its focus to other international markets.
He says Quebec and Atlantic Canada in 2023 together exported about $1.6 billion worth of lobster to the United States, adding that if tariffs are imposed it would cost valuable jobs and income across coastal communities….