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Tariff Status
"Isn't China closed because of tariffs?" It's the most common objection we hear, and as of 2026, it's out of date.
In March 2025, China imposed a 25% retaliatory tariff on a broad list of Canadian aquatic products (roughly 49 categories including lobster, crab and shrimp) in response to Canadian surtaxes announced in 2024. Canadian seafood volumes to China fell sharply under it, and for a year the objection "China is closed" was, commercially speaking, close enough to true.
As of March 1, 2026, China suspended those tariffs on aquatic products, with the suspension running through the end of 2026. The window is open now, and it has a clock on it. That combination, open plus time-limited, is exactly why we are direct with suppliers about timing: decisions that drift into next season are decisions about a market whose terms may have changed again.
What the window changes in practice: Canadian product competes in China on quality and reliability again rather than carrying a tariff handicap against other origins. Buyers who stepped back in 2025 are buying, and demand for the flat species we broker (halibut, flounder, and turbot sold as Greenland halibut) is strong, with our buyer purchasing at multiple-container volume. Suppliers who move inside the window capture pricing that was simply not available in 2025.
Two honest caveats we give every supplier: coverage should be confirmed per species (public statements named lobster, crab and shrimp explicitly; we verify products like geoduck per deal), and policy can move, which is why we date and source this page rather than treating it as permanent truth. Tariff treatment attaches to the classification on the entry, so this is also a documentation question: the HS and CIQ codes on your shipment are where the suspension becomes real money.
What it means for you: the market question is no longer "can Canadian seafood go to China?" but "can you be ready inside the window?" Registration, certification and a first container all take lead time, so a supplier who starts the conversation now is a supplier whose product ships while the suspension holds. This page is reviewed against government sources (Global Affairs Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Chinese customs announcements) and updated as the picture changes. Status shown as of July 2026.
STATUS AS OF JULY 2026. This page is reviewed against government sources and updated as the picture changes. Verify per-species coverage per deal.
Go deeper
We coordinate; authorities certify
We are a navigator, not an issuer: certifications and registrations always come from CFIA and GACC. Our job is making sure what reaches them is right the first time.
What this means for you
A time-limited suspension rewards suppliers who treat lead time as the scarce resource. Everything upstream of the container takes longer than people expect.
- The window runs to the end of 2026. Registration and first-shipment lead time eat into it from your side.
- Confirm coverage for your species per deal; we do this as standard, including for geoduck.
- Tariff treatment follows the classification, so clean HS and CIQ work is part of capturing the window.
- Policy can move. Work from this dated page and the sources it cites, not from last year's headlines.
Division of labour
What we handle, what you handle
We handle
- Per-species, per-deal confirmation of tariff coverage
- Monitoring official Canadian and Chinese announcements
- Classification (HS and CIQ) consistent with the treatment claimed
- Compressing your lead time: registration, certification and booking in parallel where possible
- A dated, sourced status page instead of rumour
You handle
- Deciding early enough for lead time to fit inside the window
- Confirming your species and product forms with us per deal
- Getting the registration pathway started if it is not already
- Planning your season with the end-2026 clock in view
Working the window
- Species coverage confirmed for your product, per deal
- Registration status assessed against the remaining window
- Classification agreed so the suspension applies at entry
- First-shipment timeline mapped back from the buyer's need
- A re-check of this page's status before each new commitment
Related reading
The 2026 tariff status, in depth
The 25% tariff, the suspension and the end-2026 clock, dated and sourced.
The 2026 tariff status, in depthWhat the suspension means for suppliers
The practical read: pricing, timing and who benefits most from the window.
What the suspension means for suppliersCanada–China seafood trade updates
The running log of trade developments that affect Canadian seafood.
Canada–China seafood trade updatesWhere does your operation sit on this pathway?
Licence scope, registration status, gaps and timeline, assessed in one conversation.