Statement on Tariffs from Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister
NOTE: The following is a statement from Kent Smith, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
Tariffs imposed by China and those proposed by the United States will have an impact on our province’s seafood sector. This is a very complicated and dynamic situation that will continue to evolve in the coming days and months.
As we work through this, the Province wants to assure the 20,000-plus workers in our seafood and aquaculture sectors that we’re here for them and for all Nova Scotians.
The importance of our seafood sector to Nova Scotia cannot be overstated. It’s the backbone of our rural communities and a foundation of our economy.
The Province will continue to support our seafood sector during these uncertain and challenging times to help ensure its long-term sustainability and prosperity.
My Department has been in constant communication with our seafood businesses since the threat of tariffs emerged, and today I met with representatives to learn more about their situations, the potential impacts of tariffs on their businesses, as well as the supports they may need to mitigate these impacts.
The virtual meeting with fish buyers, processors and representatives from the aquaculture sector also included Colton LeBlanc, Minister of Growth and Development, and Nolan Young, Minister of Labour, Skills and Immigration. We will continue to engage with industry as the situation evolves.
Our Premier is working closely with his provincial and territorial colleagues, along with the Prime Minister, on a Team Canada approach to addressing the tariffs.
We’ve also established a tariff response hotline for all businesses, where they can get information, support and advice on the tariffs.
To help deal with the tariffs, the Province has set aside $200 million for a contingency fund. My Department also received an additional $200,000 in permanent funding to support market diversification activities specific to the seafood sector. There are many other supports at the federal and provincial levels for companies who wish to explore new markets.
We are already actively working on market diversification activities for our seafood sector, and we will accelerate our work on this front. In fact, the Premier and I will be making new connections and promoting our seafood to the world at North America’s largest seafood expo this weekend in Boston.
We will also continue to work closely with the seafood sector, other provinces and the federal government to monitor developments and take action to bring the world back to fair and competitive international trade.