Canada removes fish and seafood from US counter-tariff list

Canada's Finance Department said Thursday it had removed fish and seafood from a list of US products facing counter-tariffs, citing feedback from domestic industries and a need to protect against broader economic harms. The revision came one day after Ottawa announced retaliatory duties on roughly $20 billion worth of American goods.

Industry concerns prompt exemption

Some Canadian seafood processors that import US lobster said the duties would increase their costs, while domestic producers added that the measures could provoke additional US retaliation. The department said the change was made "to protect against broader economic harms," without providing further details.

"We are continually working with Canadian industries to assess the effectiveness of these measures, with a primary focus on industries that have been targeted by US tariffs," the department said in a statement on the social media platform X. Ottawa noted it would make other adjustments to ensure that its measures continue to represent a dollar-for-dollar and rate-for-rate response to US tariffs.

Implementation timeline

Canada's counter-tariffs are scheduled to take effect on Sept. 8. The initial package largely mirrored products covered by roughly $20 billion in US tariffs that took effect Saturday, including pulp and paper products — though fish and seafood were not among the sectors specifically targeted by Washington.