Fisheries Council of Canada Statement on Canada / China Trade Announcement

Ottawa, ON (January 16, 2026) – While the Fisheries Council of Canada (FCC) welcomes the announcement stemming from the recent high-level engagement between the Government of Canada and the People’s Republic of China, specifically that crabs and lobster will not be subjected to relevant anti-discrimination tariffs  from March 1, 2026 to the end of the year, further clarity is needed on whether additional seafood species are also included. The Council and its members will continue to work closely with the Government of Canada and Chinese counterparts to confirm the scope of the measures.

“The Government of Canada must work to ensure that all Canadian seafood returns to a tariff-free environment with China,” said FCC President Jason McLinton. “The removal of tariffs on crab and lobster is an important first step, but clarity on other species is essential. The Chinese market is critical for our sector, as our second-largest export destination after the United States, and it continues to grow rapidly.”

FCC has been working with the Government of Canada and the People’s Republic of China, emphasizing that Canada’s seafood exporters must be front and centre in trade discussions. The seafood sector has been significantly affected by past retaliatory tariffs and trade disruptions, and today’s announcement provides an opportunity to address these long-standing issues in a way that facilitates stable and predictable market access for all species.

“Canada must continue assertive and results-oriented trade negotiations for the benefit all of Canada’s seafood harvesters,” McLinton concluded. “There is some uncertainty at this early stage about what the agreement will cover and when. We look forward to enhanced consultations with the governments of Canada and China on this to confirm all elements of the agreement, and to achieve results in short order. ”

FCC will continue to engage with the governments of Canada and China as Canada moves forward with its trade policies to ensure that the entire Canadian seafood sector benefits from resilient trade relationships in an evolving global economic landscape.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Jason McLinton
President
jmclinton@fisheriescouncil.ca

About FCC
The Fisheries Council of Canada (FCC) is the voice of Canada’s wild capture fish and seafood industry, promoting a healthy resource and prosperous industry playing a vital role in the Canadian economy. Our members include small, medium and larger-sized companies along with Indigenous enterprises that harvest and process fish from Canada’s three oceans. Learn more at fisheriescouncil.ca.