PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 16, 2026
Maine is about to lose its competitive advantage in China’s booming lobster market. Maine exported at least $31.8 million worth of lobster to China in 2024, the last full year of data. On Friday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Chinese President Xi Jinping announced an agreement-in-principle that gives Chinese electric carmakers access to Canada in exchange for the Maritimes access to China’s vast seafood market. The deal eliminates a 25% punitive tariff on Canadian lobster sales to China, beginning in March and lasting at least through the end of the year. Compare that to American lobster, which faces a 10% punitive tariff on sales into China. That tariff gap will give Canadian lobster dealers a competitive edge they have sorely missed.