Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness
The order directs the Commerce Department, the U.S. Trade Representative, and other agencies to reduce regulations on domestic fishing and aquaculture, develop a comprehensive seafood trade strategy, and combat illegal foreign fishing — building on a 2020 predecessor order that the administration says was reversed under subsequent policies.
Establishes a broad policy push to shrink the U.S. seafood trade deficit, which the order places above $20 billion, by simultaneously easing domestic fishing rules and targeting unfair trade practices by foreign seafood-producing nations.
What this order does
What it orders
The order directs the Secretary of Commerce to immediately identify and begin reducing regulatory burdens on the most heavily regulated U.S. fisheries within 30 days, solicit public and industry input on fisheries management improvements, modernize fishery data collection and technology, and develop an America First Seafood Strategy with the Secretary of Agriculture to promote domestic seafood production and export. Within 60 days, the Commerce Secretary and U.S. Trade Representative must jointly develop a comprehensive seafood trade strategy addressing illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and non-tariff trade barriers. The order also directs a review of marine national monuments for possible opening to commercial fishing and a revision of the Seafood Import Monitoring Program to better target high-risk shipments.
The order does not itself rescind any specific regulation, open any monument to fishing, or change any trade rule — each of those outcomes depends on future agency action, rulemaking, or presidential recommendations. It also expressly preserves existing law, including the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the Marine Mammal Protection Act, as constraints on implementation.
Who it affects
U.S. commercial fishermen, aquaculture operators, and fish processors who may face reduced regulations; seafood importers subject to tightened port inspections; foreign seafood-producing nations whose trade practices may face review; and coastal communities dependent on the fishing industry.
Why it matters
Domestic commercial fishermen could see regulatory relief and broader fishing access within months, while foreign seafood exporters face heightened scrutiny for illegal fishing and forced labor. U.S. consumers may eventually see shifts in seafood pricing and labeling if trade enforcement actions follow.
What must happen and when
How the order is supposed to work
The order works in sequential layers: Commerce identifies the most over-regulated fisheries within 30 days, then Regional Fishery Management Councils submit deregulation recommendations within 180 days, and Commerce updates its regulatory agenda afterward. Separately, the Trade Representative examines foreign trade practices and can invoke Section 301 enforcement authority. A marine monument review feeds recommendations to the President within 180 days. Annual progress reports to OMB and White House policy offices restore an accountability loop from the 2020 predecessor order. No enforcement mechanism applies directly to the agencies — progress depends on agency follow-through and future rulemaking.
Actions and deadlines
- Identify the most heavily overregulated fisheries and take action to reduce regulatory burden
- Develop and jointly issue a comprehensive seafood trade strategy with the U.S. Trade Representative
- Request that each Regional Fishery Management Council provide updated deregulation recommendations
- Review all existing marine national monuments and provide recommendations on opening them to commercial fishing
- Resume submission of annual reports to OMB and White House policy offices on fisheries regulatory activities
- Develop and implement an America First Seafood Strategy to promote U.S. seafood production, marketing, and export
- Examine trade practices of major seafood-producing nations and consider appropriate trade enforcement responses
- Consider revising or rescinding recent expansions of the Seafood Import Monitoring Program
- Expand exempted fishing permit programs to promote fishing opportunities nationwide