September 24, 2026
Weather, Geopolitics Disrupt Chinese Ports And Global Shipping Lanes
Storms have repeatedly disrupted China’s ports and shipping lanes this season, according to Expana’s August Weather report. Geopolitical tensions and chokepoint restrictions are also piling onto global ocean freight.
In August, Typhoons Dolphin and Saudel made landfall in eastern China near Shanghai and Ningbo-Zhoushan, the nation’s largest ports. In July, Typhoon Bavi struck the same region. Typhoon Noul and Tropical Storm Narra also made landfall along China’s southern coast.
The storms interrupted shipping lanes and forced port operations to suspend multiple times…
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Weather, Geopolitics Disrupt Chinese Ports And Global Shipping Lanes
Storms have repeatedly disrupted China’s ports and shipping lanes this season, according to Expana’s August Weather report. Geopolitical tensions and chokepoint restrictions are also piling onto global ocean freight.
In August, Typhoons Dolphin and Saudel made landfall in eastern China near Shanghai and Ningbo-Zhoushan, the nation’s largest ports. In July, Typhoon Bavi struck the same region. Typhoon Noul and Tropical Storm Narra also made landfall along China’s southern coast.
The storms interrupted shipping lanes and forced port operations to suspend multiple times…
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Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act Clears Senate, Heads to President’s Desk
The Senate unanimously passed S. 283, the Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act, on September 24, sending the bill to President Trump’s desk for signature after the House cleared it earlier this month, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) announced. Expana reported on the House’s passage of the bill on September 17.
Cruz introduced the bill alongside Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.). “While Texas fishermen are hard at work…
ICE Operation in New Bedford Targets Fish House Workers, at Least Eight Arrested
At least eight people were arrested Monday as US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents launched a major operation centered on New Bedford, Massachusetts — one of the country’s largest fishing ports by landed value — according to reporting by the New Bedford Light. At least four of those arrested worked in local fish houses, according to Adrian Ventura, executive director of the Centro Comunitario de Trabajadores, an organization that hosted a meeting to connect affected families with resources.
The Light reported that a reporter witnessed an arrest near the…
Handy Seafood Bets on “Crab Wings” Trend With New Panko-Breaded Soft Crab Portions
Handy Seafood is targeting the growing “crab wings” trend with a new labor-saving product line to help foodservice operators capture the social media momentum behind the sauced, shareable seafood dish.
The Salisbury, Maryland-based company’s new Panko Breaded Soft Crab Portions are designed specifically for wing-style applications, shipped frozen, pre-cut, and pre-breaded, so operators can move them from freezer to deep fryer in three to four minutes. The company said the format reduces back-of-house prep labor while ensuring consistent portion…
FDA Classifies Trinity Seafood Tuna Recall as Class II Over Scombrotoxin Contamination
The US Food and Drug Administration has classified a recall of fresh tuna distributed by Buckhead Meat Company, doing business as Trinity Seafood, as a Class II recall, the agency’s second-highest risk designation, following the detection of elevated levels of scombrotoxin in the product.
The classification, issued September 16, formalizes a recall that Trinity Seafood, based in Lakewood, New Jersey, had already initiated voluntarily on July 24 after the New Jersey Department of Health notified the company that two samples of its tuna tested positive for high…
Southern Shrimp Alliance Urges NMFS to Reject Weaker Marine Mammal Import Rules for Foreign Fleets
Foodservice Heads Into Fall With Expansion, Stronger Earnings and Seasonal Promotions
Foodservice operators are heading into fall with expansion plans, solid financial performance, and a renewed push to convert everyday visits into repeat occasions. This biweekly roundup highlights the latest earnings and growth updates, industry data shaping consumer behavior, and seasonal promotions designed to drive traffic, loyalty participation, and digital engagement.
Market Expansions and Financial Results
Chipotle is expanding its Apprentice program to deepen its management pipeline as it prepares to open 350 to 370 new restaurants in 2026 and works toward a…
Canadian Food Manufacturers Face Rising Trade and Cost Pressures
Canada’s food and beverage manufacturers posted sales growth in the first half of 2026, but higher prices rather than stronger volumes drove the increase as tariffs, trade disruption and cautious consumer spending added pressure to margins.
Food and beverage manufacturing sales reached C$88.1 billion in the first half of 2026, up 4% from the same period last year, according to a mid-year update from Farm Credit Canada (FCC) Economics. Adjusted for prices, however, real sales were flat.
“The first half of 2026 shows the sector…
Bendito Mar Becomes First Mexican Farm to Join ASC Improver Program
Bendito Mar, a Mexican cooperative that farms bivalve molluscs in Bahía Magdalena, Baja California Sur, has become the first farm in Mexico to join the Improver Programme by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), the organization announced. The move marks Bendito Mar’s entry into an Aquaculture Improvement Project (AIP) designed to strengthen its environmental and social performance and move it toward eventual ASC certification.
Bendito Mar, established in 2018, is a cooperative focused on regenerative cultivation of bivalve mollusks, including oysters, Catarina scallops, chocolate clams and pen shell…
Luke’s Lobster Offers $20 Lobster Roll Combo for National Lobster Day
Luke’s Lobster is marking National Lobster Day with a two-day promotion on its signature lobster roll, offering a quarter-pound Lobster Roll and Chips combo for $20 at participating shacks nationwide. The deal runs Thursday, September 24 and Friday, September 25 — National Lobster Day — and represents a discount from the combo’s usual price of $26 to $28, depending on location.
“I grew up in Maine thinking every day could be a lobster day, so National Lobster Day always feels like something…
I’m Shrimp Farm 5 Achieves Certification to New ASC Farm Standard in Thailand
I’m Shrimp Farm 5 in Phang Nga has achieved certification to the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) Farm Standard, becoming one of the first early adopters of the ASC certification in Thailand.
The certification recognises the farm’s performance across environmental and social impacts, animal health and welfare, legal compliance and farm management, while providing a framework for strengthening existing practices and identifying areas for continued improvement.
Koji Yamamoto, South-East Asia Producer Engagement Lead at ASC said, “Congratulations to I’m Shrimp…
Bristol Bay 2026 Sockeye Harvest Falls Short of Last Year, Ex-Vessel Value Surges on Higher Prices
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game released its 2026 Bristol Bay salmon season summary Tuesday, showing a smaller harvest than last year but a significantly higher fishery value, driven by stronger prices.
In the preliminary summary, ADF&G reported a commercial harvest of 30.1 million sockeye at an average ex-vessel price of $1.72 per pound, for a fishery value of $260.2 million.
That compares with the 2025 season, when fishermen caught 41.2 million sockeye…
UK Weighs Second Wave of Cost-of-Living Tariff Suspensions on Food, Fertilizer, and Kerosene
Amid consumer price pressure from the Middle East conflict, the UK government has moved on two fronts to suspend import tariffs on selected goods. The first package, announced April 30 and implemented June 21, 2026, removed duties on select fruits, fruit juices, pasta, couscous, and tuna which is in effect now, through December 31, 2028, according to a UK government update…
QSR Tech Expectations Rise as Nearly All Consumers Weigh Digital Experience
Technology is playing an increasingly important role in where consumers choose to eat, but new research from Canopy suggests quick-service restaurants have little room for error as digital touchpoints become more embedded in the customer experience.
Canopy’s 2026 Restaurant Tech Report: Add Sauce, Hold the Friction, based on a survey of 1,007 US consumers, found that technology now influences dining choices for 94% of respondents, up from 80% in 2025. At the same time, 37% said they have abandoned an order because…
Walton Family Foundation Spotlights Baja Fishing Communities in New ‘Human Nature’ Series
The Walton Family Foundation has launched a new multimedia storytelling series called “Human Nature,” highlighting nature-based approaches to conservation, with one segment focused on community-run fish refuges in coastal Mexico that fishers and conservation groups credit with helping depleted stocks recover over the past 15 years.
The series is part of the foundation’s expanded push behind nature-based solutions, which it describes as practical approaches that work with natural systems to protect water while strengthening local economies. The effort sits within the foundation’s…
Copernus Names Jeff Milner as Managing Director Successor
Copernus Managing Director Dean Simpson will step down from his role in October after more than a decade leading the seafood business, with current Finance Director Jeff Milner set to succeed him.
The leadership change follows a period of significant transformation for Copernus, including its acquisition by Polish salmon processor Suempol in 2024 and subsequent integration into the Suempol Group.
Simpson remained with Copernus following the acquisition to support the integration and provide continuity through the transition. The company said the change will now…
Thai Union CEO Chansiri Honored for Decades of Seafood Industry Leadership
Thai Union Group PCL President and CEO Thiraphong Chansiri has been recognized for more than three decades of leadership in the seafood industry, receiving the Wallace R. Stevens Lifetime Achievement Award from the Global Seafood Alliance (GSA).
The award was presented at the Responsible Seafood Summit 2026 in Bangkok and recognizes individuals whose leadership and commitment to responsible seafood production have contributed to the industry globally.
Chansiri has overseen Thai Union’s transformation from a Thai seafood processor into one of the world’s largest seafood companies, while…
Merkley Leads OR and WA Lawmakers in Request for Market Support for Pacific Whiting From USDA
In a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins last Friday, a dozen members of Congress expressed their support for the West Coast Seafood Processors Association’s (WCSPA) request that the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) pursue Section 32 purchases of Pacific hake (whiting) fillets this year and next.
“Historically, Pacific whiting exports to Ukraine, one of the largest whiting fillet markets, reached up to nearly $95 million per year, but instability in the region as a result of war has put that market in…
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Expana’s Weekly Top 10
This week’s Top 10 stories highlight the global forces shaping food, agriculture, and trade markets, from rising tariff tensions and geopolitical risk to supply chain disruptions, fertilizer supply moves, and shifting protein demand. Together, these developments underscore how policy, weather, logistics, and consumer trends continue to influence market conditions across the food and commodity landscape.
Trade & Policy
10. Trade tensions are back in focus ahead of the Sept. 24 Trump-Xi summit, with a possible new Section 301 tariff on China under discussion and the current trade truce extended by two…
Nofima Aquafeed Center Wins Funding for Major Expansion
New research infrastructure will expand Norway’s capacity to develop, process and test feed ingredients and other bio-based raw materials for aquaculture.
Nofima’s Aquafeed Technology Centre is to enter a second phase, with new research infrastructure funding supporting an expansion of the facilities used to develop and evaluate feed ingredients for aquaculture.
The centre is one of 18 research infrastructure projects receiving funding from the Research Council of Norway in an investment totaling NOK 1.24 billion. Nofima leads the Aquafeed Technology Centre in collaboration with the…
Atlantic Sapphire Raises Fifth Bridge Loan Tranche as Refinancing Drags On
Atlantic Sapphire ASA has agreed to raise a fifth tranche of its ongoing bridge loan facility, extending a rescue-financing arrangement that has now stretched across six months and five separate draws, according to a stock exchange notice filed September 24.
The land-based salmon farmer said it has agreed with existing lenders — Condire Management L.P., Nordlaks Holding AS, Strawberry Capital AS, Nokomis Capital Master Fund L.P. and Joh. Johannson Eiendom AS — to raise “Bridge Loan Tranche E” of USD 3 million. The new tranche…
Darden Posts First-Quarter Sales Growth, Reaffirms Fiscal 2027 Outlook
Darden Restaurants opened fiscal 2027 with higher sales and earnings in the first quarter, helped by positive same-restaurant sales across all of its business segments.
For the quarter ended Aug. 30, 2026, total sales increased 5.1% to $3.2 billion. Blended same-restaurant sales rose 3.1% on a fiscal calendar basis and 3.2% on a comparable calendar basis.
Reported diluted net earnings per share from continuing operations were $2.05, up 4.1% from last year’s adjusted diluted net earnings per share from continuing operations. The company…
Norway Launches Seafood Network to Reverse Domestic Consumption Decline
Norway’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries has convened a new “seafood network” aimed at reversing a long-running decline in domestic fish consumption, even as the country remains one of the world’s largest seafood exporting nations, according to a September 23 press release.
Fisheries and Ocean Minister Marianne Sivertsen Næss brought together representatives from the seafood industry, grocery sector and research community for the network’s first meeting. “It’s strange, when everyone knows fish is healthy and good. Not least, it’s quick to prepare…
Five Fined $19,000 for Illegal Shellfish Harvest in Campbell River, B.C.
Five recreational shellfish harvesters were fined a combined $19,000 after being convicted of illegal fishing activities in Campbell River, British Columbia, Fisheries and Oceans Canada said.
The convictions were handed down July 14 in Campbell River Provincial Court following a June 25, 2025, low-tide patrol by DFO fishery officers. Officers found the group harvesting shellfish along the Campbell River waterfront, an area closed under the Canadian Shellfish Sanitation Program (CSSP) for public health protection.
Jucy Canupin was fined $5,000 for harvesting…
ANALYSIS: US Shrimp Retail Prices Cool, But Trade Policy Risk Remains Unresolved
Discounted shrimp prices at retail have declined meaningfully, with feature and ad pricing running at levels not seen in some time. Estimated pounds moved reached 13.6 million in a single week, the strongest weekly print in years and a marked shift from what had been the weakest seasonal stretch since 2020…
New England Council Leaves Scallop Permit Stacking to NOAA, Pushes Northern Edge Access to December
The New England Fishery Management Council worked through a list of management priorities at its September 2026 meeting that NOAA laid out in a July 2 letter tied to Executive Order 14276, “Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness,” with outcomes ranging from deferral to outright rejection ahead of a formal Council response due to NOAA by September 30.
The most consequential decision came on scallop permit stacking, which would let vessels combine multiple permits’ allocations onto a single boat. Despite NOAA tasking the Council with pursuing action…
Thai Express Bets on Calamari as Canada’s Next Premium QSR Protein
Thai Express, a Canadian quick-service chain, is betting on calamari with its latest menu item. The Montreal-founded chain has grown into one of the largest Thai restaurant concepts in Canada, with more than 300 locations worldwide.
The brand launched its first-ever Crunchy Calamari as it looks to bring a premium seafood item to more Canadians. The launch follows the company’s lobster debut, which turned into one of its hottest limited-time offerings ever.
Thai Express said the success of last year’s lobster launch showcased demand…
SSA Backs Ten-Year Gulf Shrimp Permit Moratorium Extension, Urges Threshold Review
The Southern Shrimp Alliance (SSA) filed comments last week supporting a proposed ten-year extension of the federal commercial shrimp permit moratorium in the Gulf, while urging an urgent examination of the moratorium’s minimum permit thresholds amid a continued decline in the fleet.
As Expana reported in August, NOAA Fisheries published a proposed rule implementing Amendment 17B to the Gulf Shrimp Fishery Management Plan, which would extend the existing moratorium on new commercial shrimp permits through October 2036…
Russia Expects Barents Sea Cod Catch Recovery in Coming Years as Stocks Stabilize
Russia is anticipating a recovery in Barents Sea cod catch over the coming years as fish stocks show signs of stabilizing, according to scientists from the Polar Branch of the All-Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (PINRO).
Researchers say the negative trend of declining Barents Sea cod populations is coming to an end, with stocks expected to gradually increase starting next year.
PINRO director Konstantin Sokolov said the commercial stock of cod — one of the most important fish species in the Barents Sea — was near…
Leroy Seafood Industries Closed Processing Plant Hestvika, Offers Employees Work Nearby
The Norwegian press has covering an announcement from Leroy Seafood Industries that it plans to close down the production facility In Hitra in Hestvika to counter overcapacity and large investment needs. All permanent employees have received offers to continue at the company’s new facility on Jøsnøya, a short drive away.
“This is a heavy but necessary decision,” Roy Eide, general manager of Lerøy Seafood Industri, told MN24.
“Over time, we have seen that the development in the market and available volume do not provide a basis for…
Saint Paul Island’s Halibut Fleet Rebounds With Record Prices After Years of Disruption
The residents of Saint Paul Island, located in the central Bering Sea, have much to celebrate this fall after a successful Pacific halibut season. It has been a time of change following a trifecta of disasters in the past six years. The Central Bering Sea Fishermen’s Association (CBSFA), headquartered on the island and representing the community’s fishing fleet, said the future today looks brighter than it has since 2019.
The disasters are well known in Alaska’s seafood industry — COVID, the crab crash, and a slowly declining halibut…