July 10, 2026
Middle East Market Intelligence Brief: Week Ending July 10, 2026
This week, US President Donald Trump said a US-Iran memorandum aimed at ending the war was no longer valid, following renewed strikes and tensions.
He also announced plans to cut trade ties with Spain, criticizing its NATO contributions, as European leaders sought unity at the alliance summit.
On Thursday, Iran launched attacks on US military sites in the Gulf following US strikes on Iranian targets, escalating tensions and delaying the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Below is Expana’s weekly summary of the war’s most significant effects on global...
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Middle East Market Intelligence Brief: Week Ending July 10, 2026
This week, US President Donald Trump said a US-Iran memorandum aimed at ending the war was no longer valid, following renewed strikes and tensions.
He also announced plans to cut trade ties with Spain, criticizing its NATO contributions, as European leaders sought unity at the alliance summit.
On Thursday, Iran launched attacks on US military sites in the Gulf following US strikes on Iranian targets, escalating tensions and delaying the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Below is Expana’s weekly summary of the war’s most significant effects on global...
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Canada Targets US Lobster, Salmon, Pollock With 25% Counter-Tariffs
Canada will impose 25% counter-tariffs on American fish and seafood effective September 8, escalating a trade war that now threatens one of the world's most deeply integrated bilateral seafood supply chains.
The measures, announced August 25 by Prime Minister Mark Carney, cover roughly 700 US product lines at rates of 15%, 25% and 50% — a dollar-for-dollar response to US Section 338 tariffs of 50% that took effect August 19 on select Canadian imports after trade talks between the two countries collapsed. Fish and seafood fall...
Full Story »Pink Salmon Surge in Sitka and Kodiak Lifts Alaska Season Totals
A late-season surge of pink salmon into Sitka and strong returns in Kodiak have brightened Alaska's salmon harvest picture heading into the final stretch of the season.
The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute's (ASMI) weekly harvest summary through August 22 showed the cumulative salmon catch had exceeded year-to-date 2025 levels — and 2024 levels for pink salmon — though totals remained well behind both the forecast and the prior-year cumulative harvest as the season began to wind down. That picture improved further after the report was distributed...
Full Story »Chile Presses for Salmon Tariff Removal as Two-Day US Trade Talks End
High-level trade talks between Chile and the United States concluded in Santiago this week without a final agreement, as both sides described ongoing negotiations over the 12.5% Section 301 tariff that has burdened Chilean exports — including salmon — since late July.
Deputy US Trade Representative Jeffrey Goettman led the US delegation for the two-day visit on August 24-25. Chile's government pressed for the removal of the 12.5% tariff across key export sectors, including salmon, wine, timber, and fruit...
Full Story »Wild Planet Foods Named in Class Action Over Alleged Arsenic Levels in Canned Sardines
Wild Planet Foods has been named as a defendant in a federal class action lawsuit alleging that one of its canned sardine products contains arsenic levels that exceed California's daily safe exposure threshold and that the company failed to disclose the risk to consumers.
The complaint was filed August 18 in the US District Court for the Northern District of California by plaintiff Ryan Moore of Napa, California, on behalf of a proposed nationwide class and California subclass of purchasers...
Full Story »Savoonga, AK Celebrates Official Opening of New Pacific Halibut Plant in Northern Bering Sea
A milestone was celebrated earlier this month in the remote town of Savooonga on St. Laurence Island in the Northern Bering Sea, as the community's new halibut processing plant was officially opened and christened the Orville Evekaan Toolie Halibut Plant.
Mr. Toolie, an employee of the Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation (NSEDC), who has served the fishers in Savooonga since 1992, was the honorary guest at the community celebration.
“Orville worked to help transform an old Head Start school building into the initial plant in the...
Full Story »The Retail Rundown: Grocers Make a Final Push for Grilling
Labor Day falls on Monday, September 7, signaling the unofficial end of summer and the last major grilling occasion before consumers turn their attention to school, football, and the fall holidays.
The three-day holiday weekend is a key promotional window for grocers, but the 2026 protein market presents a more challenging backdrop. Factors like tight cattle supplies and broader economic pressures are influencing both availability and consumer demand, prompting retailers to take a more strategic approach to promotions.
From a wholesale beef perspective, the market has become less favorable for retailers seeking promotional leverage. Choice and Select beef cutout values have climbed since the...
Full Story »China's Sashimi Revolution Opens New Frontier for Imported Salmon
China's rapid embrace of sashimi is driving a structural shift in its salmon import market, with new data from the Norwegian Seafood Council pointing to demand growth that shows little sign of slowing.
Chinese salmon imports rose 43 percent in the first half of 2026, extending a trend that saw the category grow 50 percent across the full year of 2025. The two-year surge has elevated China to Norway's third-largest seafood market in 2025, up from sixth in 2024, with Norwegian seafood exports to China reaching...
Full Story »Norway to Require Digital Operational Plan Submissions from All Marine Fish Farms From 2027
Norway's food safety authority has launched a new digital system for aquaculture operational plans and made that data publicly accessible — a significant shift in how the country's salmon farming industry documents and shares its site-level management practices.
The Norwegian Food Safety Authority, Mattilsynet, announced that all marine aquaculture facilities will be required to submit their operational plans through the new digital platform from 2027. The system is now live, and Mattilsynet has simultaneously opened the operational plan data from sea-based aquaculture facilities to the...
Full Story »Russia Looks to Expand Pollock Roe Sales in Asian Markets, With China in Focus
Russia is moving to more aggressively promote its pollock roe across Asian markets, with China identified as the primary growth target in the coming years.
The Russian Pollock Association (ADM) has been running a pollock roe promotion program in China since 2024. Elena Borisenko, ADM's project manager in China, said pollock roe is already an established product in Japan and South Korea and is gaining traction in China. Russian producers are planning to significantly increase shipments to the Chinese market once outstanding issues around...
Full Story »Kim Phat Seafood Medley Recalled in Canada Over Undeclared Allergens
Kim Phat brand’s Seafood Medley has been recalled in Canada after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) flagged undeclared allergens. The CFIA says the product’s label failed to disclose egg, fish, gluten, soy and wheat.
The recall covers Seafood Medley 1.1 lb (500 g) packs, with UPC 6 28790 00196 2, distributed by Ocean Packers Inc. The affected packs were produced Aug. 16, 2025, and carry a best-before date of Aug. 15, 2027. The action was triggered by a customer complaint...
Full Story »Court Closes NRDC Lawsuit That Forced MMPA Seafood Import Rules Into Effect
The federal lawsuit that compelled the US government to implement long-dormant Marine Mammal Protection Act import restrictions on seafood has been formally closed, with a judge ruling that nothing remains to adjudicate.
Judge Gary S. Katzmann of the US Court of International Trade dismissed the case on August 19, denying as moot a motion by the Natural Resources Defense Council, Center for Biological Diversity, and Animal Welfare Institute to enforce an earlier settlement agreement. All parties — including the government and the seafood industry intervenors led by the...
Full Story »SalMar Posts Record Biological Performance in Q2, Raises Full-Year Harvest Guidance
SalMar reported record-strong biological performance in the second quarter of 2026, with the Norwegian salmon farming giant delivering its highest-ever group harvest volume and raising its full-year guidance on the strength of the results.
Group harvest volume for Q2 reached 81,800 tonnes, with operational EBIT for the group coming in at NOK 1,237 million for the quarter. The Norwegian operations were the primary driver, delivering operational EBIT of NOK 1,227 million on 71,500 tonnes harvested — with Icelandic Salmon and SalMar Ocean accounting for the remainder...
Full Story »China Southern Launches Direct Oslo-Shanghai Cargo Route for Norwegian Salmon
China Southern Airlines has launched a new direct cargo route between Oslo Airport and Shanghai, adding approximately 200 tonnes of weekly Norwegian salmon capacity to a trade lane that has become increasingly central to Norway's export strategy as US tariffs bite.
The route began operations on August 19, running twice weekly with Boeing 777F freighters carrying roughly 100 tonnes per flight. It is China Southern's first cargo route to Norway.
"China is one of the most important growth markets for Norwegian seafood, and we see significant potential for further...
Full Story »USDA Announces Harvest to Hallways Initiative to Invest in Child Nutrition Programs
Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced sweeping new efforts to strengthen school meals by connecting more American farmers with local schools, investing in school kitchen infrastructure, and giving states and school districts new tools to serve healthier, more nutrient-dense meals to America’s children.
Secretary Kennedy joined Secretary Rollins at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), alongside farmers, students, school nutrition leaders, athletes, chefs, and parents, to announce the next phase of the Trump Administration’s...
Full Story »Long John Silver’s Adds Fried Pickles, OLD BAY Ranch Starting Aug. 24
Long John Silver’s is tapping into the pickle craze with a new limited-time menu item. Starting today, the chain is adding fried pickles coated in its signature batter to its offerings.
"Pickles are having a moment, but we weren't interested in making just another Fried Pickle," said Meredith Smith, director of brand marketing at Long John Silver's®. "We batter fish for a living, so putting it on pickles felt like the obvious place to start. Then we paired them...
Full Story »ANALYSIS: Gulf of Mexico Shrimp Landings Up 30% Through April, but Monthly Momentum Is Fading
Gulf of Mexico shrimp landings through April 2026 totaled 15.48 million pounds — 30% above the 11.91 million pounds recorded in the same period of 2025 and 9% ahead of the prior five-year average. The four-month cumulative figure is notable in context: 2025 was the weakest full year in the 10-year NMFS dataset, at 80.3 million pounds. The 2026 start suggested a recovery from that baseline. The monthly trajectory since January complicates that read...
Full Story »Peru Declares 120-Day Fishing and Aquaculture Emergency as Coastal El Niño Intensifies
Peru's Ministry of Production (PRODUCE) has declared a state of emergency across its fishing and aquaculture subsectors for 120 calendar days, activating a framework of exceptional measures to protect the livelihoods of fishers, aquaculturists, and workers across the sector's supply chain as Coastal El Niño conditions worsen.
The declaration, announced August 23, comes as Peru's El Niño monitoring body ENFEN maintains its Coastal El Niño Alert and warns that the event is expected to continue through the 2026–2027 period at a magnitude ranging from strong...
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USDA Announces $156 Million in Commodity Purchases to Support US Producers
The US Department of Agriculture has announced plans to purchase $156 million in agricultural commodities from American farmers and producers, with the products to be distributed to schools and food banks through federal nutrition assistance programs.
The purchases will be made by USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service using Section 32 funds — a standing authority under the Agricultural Adjustment Act that allows the agency to buy surplus or price-distressed agricultural commodities to support domestic producers while supplying federally managed distribution channels.
The full commodity breakdown is as follows...
Full Story »Restaurants Lean on Efficiency and AI to Protect Margins, Toast Survey Finds
Toast’s annual Voice of the Restaurant Industry Survey finds operators doubling down on profitability, growth and efficiency.
The foodservice technology company led a blind survey across 676 operators from April 3–20, 2026. The data reflects that the industry holding up, with 91% saying their business is in good or excellent shape, matching last year. Inflation, cited by 27% of operators and up seven points year over year, and hiring, cited by 22% and up six points, are...
Full Story »Norway Sees Sharp Drop in Production Fish as Salmon Harvest Hits Record High
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Norway’s Food Safety Authority reports a sharp drop in production fish, known locally as prodfisk, even as overall harvests hit record levels.
Considered lower-quality fish due to damage or imperfections often linked to farming or operational issues, production fish accounted for 10.6% of harvest volume in H1 2026, down from 17.7% in H1 2025 and 30% in H1 2024.
"We see a clear decline in the proportion of production fish, at the same time as the harvest volume is higher than...
Full Story »Nordic Aqua Partners Reaches Full Capacity at China RAS Farm, Eyes Stage 3 Expansion
Nordic Aqua Partners has reached full run-rate at its recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) Atlantic salmon farm in Ningbo, China, bringing annual production capacity to 8,000 metric tons following the completion of Stage 2 of the project.
CEO Ragnar Joensen said the company is now "fully up and running" at that capacity, with operational performance described as solid. Combined with good fish health and welfare, he said the results are supporting improved fish growth, higher harvest weights, and lower production costs...
Full Story »Gloria Maris Côte d’Opale Becomes First French Seabass and Seabream Farm Certified to ASC Standard
Gloria Maris Côte d’Opale has become the first French seabass and seabream farm to receive the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) Seabream and Seabass standard certification, following an audit conducted by a Conformity Assessment Body (CAB) to verify compliance with the standard.
ASC announced the news yesterday, saying the certification increases the availability of farmed seafood in France that meets ASC’s environmental and social requirements.
“ASC congratulates Gloria Maris Côte d’Opale on this remarkable achievement. As a pioneer...
Full Story »Ecuador's Shrimp Industry and Local Communities Join Forces to Restore Mangroves
The Sustainable Shrimp Partnership (SSP) and Ecuador's National Chamber of Aquaculture (CNA) have launched a new pilot project called 'Manglares en Común' — Mangroves in Common — bringing together shrimp producers and coastal communities in a collaborative effort to restore mangrove ecosystems across Ecuador.
The project was developed in partnership with Promarisco, feed company Vitapro, and the Manglares Porteños fishing cooperative. The first planting event took place this month, marking the formal start of restoration activities on the ground...
Full Story »ANALYSIS: Frozen Whiting Fillet Prices Hit Multi-Year Highs as Argentine Imports Slump
The US frozen whiting fillet market continues to strengthen as reduced imports, limited production, and logistical disruptions restrict available supply. Imports from Argentina totaled 2.48 million pounds through June 2026, down 36.6% from 3.92 million pounds during the same period last year and approximately 37% below the five-year average. This was the lowest first-half volume recorded over the period shown, underscoring the depth of the current supply shortfall and the limited availability of replacement product...
Full Story »Norway's Polar Quality and Fram Seafood to Merge, Creating $800M Northern Norwegian Export Player
Norwegian seafood exporters Polar Quality AS and Fram Seafood have announced plans to merge, creating a Bodø-based export company with combined annual revenues of approximately NOK 7.7 billion — roughly $800 million — and a strengthened position in international salmon markets.
"Our goal has always been to build a solid and future-oriented export company with a long-term perspective and a clear position in the world market," said Jarle Solemdal, Chairman of the Board of Polar Quality AS...
Full Story »Peru Closes First 2026 Anchovy Season Early on Precautionary Grounds
Peru's Ministry of Production has officially closed the first anchovy fishing season of 2026 in the north-center zone, ending operations ahead of schedule on precautionary grounds after a series of mid-season suspensions disrupted fishing throughout the period.
PRODUCE ordered the closure on August 21, citing scientific evidence from IMARPE — Peru's fisheries research institute — and the results of the EUREKA survey operation, which monitors stock conditions in real time. The decision follows multiple in-season fishing suspensions, including a significant halt in June linked to excessive catches of juvenile...
Full Story »Price of Frozen Pacific Ocean Perch from Alaska Soared 60％ Amid China's Strong Imports from the US
The domestic wholesale price for dressed Alaska-origin Pacific Ocean Perch (400–500g size) has reached approximately 700 yen/kg ($4.40/kg) this summer.
After remaining flat at around 430 yen/kg ($2.70/kg) for about three years leading up to last spring, the price surged by 60%, driven mainly by increased demand from Chinese processors. Direct imports into Japan for re-processing dropped sharply last year, and trading sources suggest that "volumes could decline further this year." Although Japan...
Full Story »Three Cited for Shrimping Violations in Louisiana's Terrebonne and Plaquemines Parishes
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries enforcement agents cited three individuals for alleged shrimping violations in Terrebonne and Plaquemines parishes on August 13 and 14, the agency announced.
Paul J. Pierre, 56, of Houma; Michael Champlin, 55, of Buras; and Mikeal Bethelot, 25, of Buras were each cited for allegedly using skimmer nets during a closed season. The inside waters in both parishes had not yet opened to shrimping at the time of the alleged violations.
Using skimmer nets during a closed shrimp season...
Full Story »Maine DMR Launches Electronic Application System for Aquaculture Leases
The Maine Department of Marine Resources has launched an electronic application system for aquaculture leases, modernizing a process that had long relied on paper submissions and is described by state officials as a significant step forward for the industry.
The new system, which went live on August 18, is available through DMR's online licensing portal, LEEDS — the Licensing Enforcement and Environmental Data System — and is open to both experimental and standard lease applicants. DMR said the platform will "significantly streamline" the lease application process for Maine's aquaculture industry...
Full Story »Oregon's Commodity Commissions Meet With Gov. Kotek on Chronic Processing Wastewater Issue
Wastewater treatment remains a persistent challenge for seafood processors, as state water quality agencies issue notices—and eventually fines—when new regulations are not met. In earlier eras, hoses cleaned off floors and decks and the tide took care of the rest. Today, wastewater must be treated to remove a long list of pollutants, some of which are already present in the municipal water supplied to the plant. Requiring processors to output water cleaner than the drinking water they receive creates serious problems...
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