Agreement Removes High Retaliatory Duties, Leaving Only a 10% Levy

In a major step to ease trade tensions, China has significantly adjusted additional tariffs on imported goods, with major benefits for the US agricultural sector, including seafood.

The State Council Tariff Commission announced that effective 13:01 on November 10, 2025, the previous 24% additional tariff rate on many US products will be suspended for one year, leaving a general 10% levy in place.

More critically for the sector, this agreement involves the removal of retaliatory duties (previously up to 15%) on specific US farm goods starting the same date. This measure directly benefits exporters of seafood, soybeans, pork, and beef, fulfilling a consensus reached during recent China-US trade consultations.

The move is expected to stabilize and increase agricultural trade between the two countries.

Batches of Live Fish Depart from Southern China's Border to Explore the Dubai Market

On November 1, a batch of 182 kilograms of live fish, including yellow catfish, snakehead, grass carp, and crucian carp, departed from Mengzhe Town, Menghai County, Xishuangbanna Prefecture, for Dubai, United Arab Emirates. This marks the first time that live fish from Yunnan, known as the "land of fish and rice" in the south, have been exported to the UAE.

"Our live fish were previously mainly exported to Southeast Asia," said Xu Jinguang, head of Xishuangbanna Xuxiansheng Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd. "After learning about the market potential in the Middle Eastern countries, we first exported these four types of fish to Dubai. With smooth customs clearance, it only takes about 12 hours to transport them and reach their destination."

Xishuangbanna Customs and Kunming Changshui Airport Customs established a "green channel" and appointment services, adopting a priority inspection and release model to ensure the freshness of the cargo.

So far this year, Xishuangbanna Customs has supervised the export of 333 tons of live fish, valued at approximately $930,000 US$ (6.51 million yuan), assisting local enterprises in expanding into new international markets.

Initial Black Sea Catches Show Bonito Scarcity, But Anchovy and Horse Mackerel Abundance Fuels Optimism

Following the lifting of the ban, Türkiye's fishing season officially opened in Poyrazköy, Istanbul, at the exit of the Bosphorus into the Black Sea. The initial days of fishing have presented a mixed picture for fishermen.

Although early catches have not included sufficient quantities of anchovy (hamsi) or bonito, there are promising signs. In Ordu, fishermen from Fatsa reported catches of whiting, red mullet, and horse mackerel.

Ilhami Demirtürk, Chairman of the Fatsa Fisheries Cooperative, stated in an interview with Daily Sabah newspaper: "For now, the season looks promising. Bonito is currently scarce, but hamsi and horse mackerel are abundant. Hopefully, we will all have a safe and productive season."

Despite high temperatures affecting fish size in Rize, local fish markets have maintained a modest supply. Furthermore, the fishing boom has generated essential food resources and new job opportunities, especially for local workers unloading the catch.

Fishermen across the country remain hopeful that yields will improve as the season progresses.

Salmon farmer reports good biology, but weak financial results in year of low prices

Salmon producer Scottish Sea Farms (SSF) has increased its 2025 harvest volume guidance by 1,500 gutted weight tonnes to 33,500 gwt due to good biological development, co-owner SalMar said in its Q3 2025 report today.

SSF has reported good harvest weights in the period, although revenue, operating profit, and harvest volume in Q3 were all lower than in the same period last year, when prices were higher.

Author: Gareth Moore / fishfarmingexpert | Read the full article here

Leading Russian companies are showing significant interest in applying genetic technologies to boost domestic aquaculture. The industry's continued growth hinges on developing native production of high-quality seed material to raise in-demand fish species.

This pressing need was the focus of the roundtable, "Smart Breeding: How Genetics is Transforming Russian Aquaculture," held at the International Fisheries Forum.

Nikolai Müge, PhD in Biology and Head of the Molecular Genetics Department at the All-Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO), highlighted the potential. "Thanks to the unique biological properties of fish, genetic technologies unavailable for other farm animals have great potential for application in aquaculture. These methods don't replace selection, but rather accelerate it and increase its efficiency."

The Center for Genomic Selection at VNIRO is actively working to identify individuals with superior traits by analyzing the genotypes of aquaculture species. Developments are most promising in studying carp and trout. Scientists use high-throughput genotyping or whole genome sequencing to identify offspring with the best combinations of traits that influence consumer characteristics, such as body weight and head size.

The goal is to implement these scientific solutions to produce fish with improved consumer properties, marking a strategic step toward securing Russia's aquaculture future.

Esselunga, a leading Italian retailer, has launched Italy’s first land-based smoked salmon for consumers, signaling a major move towards sustainable seafood.

Available since October 9th under The Icelander brand, the product is a result of a collaboration between Norwegian land-based farmer Salmon Evolution and processor Milarex.

The launch meets a growing consumer demand in Italy for products that combine quality, taste, and environmental responsibility. Esselunga is pioneering the introduction of healthier, more sustainable choices to Italian households.

Antonio Pellin from Milarex highlighted the market shift: “Introducing land-based salmon in partnership with Esselunga allows us to meet that demand and bring real innovation to Italian households.”

Salmon Evolution’s approach focuses on transparency and responsibility, raising the salmon in pristine Norwegian waters to align with Italy's increasing focus on sustainability, animal welfare, and health. This partnership strengthens Esselunga’s position as a retail innovator.

Norway exported seafood worth NOK 18.3 billion in October. This is a decrease of NOK 122 million, or 1 per cent, compared with the same month last year. Despite the decline, October was the second highest month for Norwegian seafood exports.

“The main reason for the decline in the value of seafood exports in October was a sharp fall in the export volume of mackerel and herring. Most other major species saw an increase in value in October.

For salmon, there was an export record for a single month, both in terms of volume and value, in addition to an increase in value for cod, trout, saithe and haddock

Source: Fish Focus | Read the full article here

Peru’s Production Ministry (PRODUCE) has authorized a 7 November start for the second anchovy-fishing season of 2025 in the nation’s North-Central zone.

PRODUCE established a provisional total allowable catch (TAC) of 500,000 metric tons (MT) for the season, with a final quota to be confirmed once the results of a scientific survey overseen by PRODUCE’s technical arm Imarpe are available.

In comparison, Peruvian authorities established a TAC of 3 million MT for the first North-Central season of the year in April – the second-highest seasonal quota set in the last decade. 

Author: Christian Molinari / SeafoodSource | Read the full article here