According to the EU it will soon be making changes to its tariff structure that will benefit Canadian seafood producers. It is told that the EU will allow up to 20,000 metric tonnes of Canadian shrimp to enter European markets with no tariff applied under the Autonomous Tariff Rate Quota (ATRQ). The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has been working with the Government of Canada and the province’s fishing industry to address the issue of EU seafood tariffs.
The Honourable Tom Hedderson, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, said that this move by the EU represents great progress on Canadian seafood tariffs and will assist their fishing industry at a time when markets are experiencing great challenges. He further said that these tariffs are one of the most important issues facing our province’s seafood processing sector and every reduction in tariffs provides an opportunity to open up European markets for Canadian seafood products.
In 2004, the shrimp ATRQ only provided for 7,000 metric tonnes of Canadian shrimp to be allowed into the EU at a reduced tariff of six percent. As part of the expected changes to the EU tariff structure, it is also anticipated that there will be no tariff on yellowtail flounder, with an ATRQ of 10,000 tonnes. Past EU tariffs on yellowtail flounder were as high as 15 per cent.
