Higgins Asks President Trump to Levy Tariffs on Foreign Seafood
February 17, 2025 | 1 min to read
Representative Clay Higgins of Louisiana has urged President Trump to impose tariffs and enhance trade enforcement on seafood imports from China, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam. He highlighted the unfair competition faced by local shrimpers and fishermen due to illegal dumping and heavy subsidies abroad, which undermine American seafood producers. Higgins advocated for stronger measures, including antidumping duties and stricter health standards, to safeguard the domestic market and support coastal communities' economies.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) delivered an official letter to President Trump, requesting tariffs and increased trade enforcement for seafood imports from China, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
“Domestic shrimpers, fishermen, and crawfish producers in Louisiana and across the country face significant challenges competing against foreign seafood industries that are heavily subsidized and engage in illegal dumping into the United States,” Congressman Higgins wrote. “These unrighteous trade practices artificially drive down prices, disrupt fair market conditions, and threaten the livelihoods of hardworking American seafood producers. Without strong and consistent intervention, our seafood industry will remain vulnerable to these illegal trade tactics that erode the competitive market.
The letter continues, “I respectfully urge your administration to use all available enforcement tools, such as imposing antidumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVD), implementing stricter testing protocols, and taking decisive actions, including levying tariffs of up to 100% or destroying shipments that fail to meet U.S. health standards, to ensure a level playing field for American producers. Implementing these measures will protect the competitiveness and integrity of our domestic market and help the economy and culture of our coastal communities.”
Read the full letter here.