U.S. Seafood Trade Task Force seeks input from industry and the public

Recommendations will be accepted through August 1, 2020

UPDATED: August 6, 2020. The public comment period has closed. A link for all submitted comments appears at the bottom of this page.

The Interagency U.S. Seafood Trade Task Force wants to hear from you.

Fish at market.

Fish at market. (Image credit: Shutterstock)

Today, the Federal Register published a notice inviting the U.S. seafood and fishing industry to submit comments and suggestions for the newly-established task force, which will be co-chaired by the Office of the United States Trade Representative and the U.S. Department of Commerce. The task force  stems from the Presidential Executive Order signed May 7, 2020, on Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth. The Task Force will work to support fair market access for U.S. seafood products through trade policy and negotiations.

Jim Sanford, assistant U.S. trade representative for market access and industrial competitiveness, and Drew Lawler, deputy assistant secretary for international fisheries, will work closely with interagency partners to develop a comprehensive interagency seafood trade strategy. The strategy will identify opportunities to improve access to foreign markets through trade policy and negotiations; resolve technical barriers to U.S. seafood exports; and otherwise support fair market access for U.S. seafood products.

Industry and the public are invited to submit comments via email to SeafoodTrade.Strategy@noaa.gov through August 1, 2020. Submitted comments are available online