Boston seafood show giving P.E.I. sellers a chance to tout products in the face of tariffs

Members of the P.E.I. seafood industry are attending the Seafood Expo North America in Boston as they look to expand their horizons in international markets in response to the U.S. tariff situation.

This three-day exposition, collectively known as the Boston Seafood Show, is the largest of its kind in North America. It gives thousands of buyers and suppliers in the industry the chance to network and make deals.

P.E.I. Fisheries, Tourism, Sport and Culture Minister Zack Bell, who is attending the expo, said a lot of the discussions with U.S. representatives sounded the same.

"The big resounding thing that everybody is saying [is] no one wants tariffs. No one wants them. The Americans don't want them. We don't want them," the minister said.

The P.E.I. Seafood Processors Association estimates P.E.I. exported about $324 million worth of seafood products to the U.S. in 2023, making it an important market for the province.

After U.S. President Donald Trump first threatened to impose punishing tariffs against Canada, former premier Dennis King assembled Team P.E.I., composed of two dozen government officials and industry leaders, and hopped on a bus for a five-day road trip through the northeastern U.S. to talk about what tariffs would mean.

At the time, it was reported that the trip was expected to cost taxpayers $250,000. CBC News requested a breakdown of the costs and is awaiting a response from the provincial government.

Bell was present on that trip, and is now back in Boston.

"We've been telling our suppliers and our producers [to] continue those conversations with the Americans, but at the same time explore those different markets," the minister said.

"If tariffs do come in, then we do want our companies to try to diversify their markets to the extent that they can."

Bell said his biggest surprise has been the number of Canadians approaching P.E.I. businesses at the Boston show. As much as the industry has been trying to push into non-U.S. international markets, he feels these discussions are important.

"In Canada, we don't eat probably near enough seafood. And that's really what we want to try to push out… buy local, buy often."

Since Trump launched the trade war, many Islanders have started buying more locally. Some retailers are more heavily promoting Canadian products to encourage that.