A joint request from 23 U.S. fishing, seafood and community groups is asking United States Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer “to launch a broad investigation into unfair seafood trade practices,” including dumping, subsidies, environmental damage, false product labeling and use of banned veterinary drugs.

The domestic seafood producers are stepping up calls for the USTR to investigate unfair imports under Section 301 of the federal Trade Act of 1974, a law that allows the U.S. to implement trade measures in response to discriminatory practices by foreign producers.

“The U.S. market for seafood is dominated by cheap, unfairly traded imports,” said Blake Price, director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance, one of the American groups signed onto a May 19 letter to Greer. 

“It is rapidly forcing American fishermen and fish farmers out of business, eliminating our country’s ability to produce healthy, high-quality protein,” said Price. “Domestic seafood producers urgently need the Trump administration to use Section 301 authority to give us a fighting chance.”

The U.S. coalition notes how imported seafood “already dominates the U.S. market and its market share in increasing,” growing by 10 percent in volume between 2019 and 2025, from 5.8 billion to 6.4 billion lbs.

Meanwhile, U.S. commercial landings dropped almost 18 percent, from 9.4 billion to 7.72 billion lbs. in 2024. Between 2021 and 2024, the value of edible seafood imports rose by $3.1 billion, while the value of U.S. commercial landings fell by $1.6 billion – a nearly 25 percent decline. 

“In short, unfairly traded foreign seafood is not simply growing U.S. demand for seafood – it’s forcing American fishermen and aquaculturists out of business, substantially reducing U.S. seafood production and devastating rural communities throughout the country,” according to the Southern Shrimp Alliance

Beginning in March the U.S Trade Representative office initiated a number of investigations under the 1974 trade act, referred to as Section 301 actions.

“An investigation under Section 301(b) of the Trade Act examines whether the acts, policies, or practices of a foreign country are unreasonable or discriminatory and burden or restrict U.S. commerce,” according to a March summary from the USTR. “After considering the advice of the inter-agency Section 301 Committee, and consulting with appropriate advisory committees, the United States Trade Representative has initiated these investigations.”  

The May 19 letter from fishing industry representatives to followed an identical May 11 request from 20 members of Congress. In summer 2025 the Oregon Trawl Commission was joined by the Southern Shrimp Alliance and several members of the crawfish industry in a request to the USTR for the initiation of a Section 301 investigation focused on the use of veterinary drugs in farm-raised seafood production in China, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

On May 13 Louisiana state legislators asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to utilize the Commodity Procurement program under Section 32 of the Agricultural Adjustment Act to purchase domestic shrimp from Louisiana shrimpers.”

“Louisiana’s shrimpers and processors are currently facing severe economic hardship due to increased imports of foreign shrimp, rising operational costs, and market instability,” according to the Louisiana lawmakers.

USDA purchases of “Louisiana shrimp under Section 32 authority would provide immediate economic relief to domestic shrimpers while ensuring that high-quality, American-produced seafood reaches families in need.”