Federal regulators have revised earlier import restrictions on swimming crab fisheries, allowing some countries to resume shipments to the U.S. while maintaining a ban on others.

According to a May 10 notice from NOAA Fisheries, the agency reconsidered its prior “comparability findings” under the Marine Mammal Protections Act, which requires foreign fisheries exporting to the United States to meet marine mammal protection standards comparable to those required of U.S. fleets. 

The decision follows a broader 2025 review in which NOAA evaluated approximately 2,500 fisheries across 135 countries. That review found 240 fisheries in 46 countries out of compliance, triggering import bans that took effect Jan. 1, 2026.

After a lawsuit prompted a federal court to pause restrictions on certain swimming crab fisheries, NOAA conducted a reconsideration using additional information submitted by affected countries.

As a result, NOAA granted comparability findings to swimming crab fisheries in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam, allowing imports of crab and crab products from those countries to continue.

NOAA upheld its denial for the Philippines’ gillnet and pot/trap fisheries, citing a lack of adequate monitoring and reporting of marine mammal interactions. Imports from those fisheries are expected to be banned beginning in June according to WBOC.

 The reconsideration stems from a legal challenge filed in the U.S. Court of International Trade by seafood companies, including Handy Seafood, Cebu Pacific LLC, and Byrd International, which argued the initial restrictions could significantly impact crab supply chains.

According to court filings cited by WBOC, companies said a large share of pasteurized crab meat sold in the U.S. is sourced from Southeast Asia, and that earlier determinations could affect supply availability and production. NOAA stated that countries denied comparability findings may reapply in the future if they can demonstrate compliance with U.S. standards.