Amid Trump Tariff Uncertainty, Oregon’s Entire Democratic Delegation Rallies Behind West Coast Seafood Industry
After devastating order cancellations due to tariffs, Wyden, Merkley, Bonamici, Bynum, Dexter, Hoyle and Salinas ask USDA to buy West Coast pink shrimp
Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, along with U.S. Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, Janelle Bynum, Maxine Dexter, Val Hoyle and Andrea Salinas today rallied behind the West Coast seafood industry by asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture to buy Oregon pink shrimp as soon as possible to help lessen the damage from Donald Trump’s tariffs.
“Commercial fishing, seafood processing, and distribution is an integral part of the numerous small ports and rural communities that dot America’s Pacific coast,” the legislators wrote in a letter to Bruce Summers, USDA Agricultural Marketing Services Administrator. “The industry contributes hundreds of millions of dollars and thousands of jobs to the region’s economy, all while providing the nation with domestic, high-quality seafood that is caught, processed, and distributed by hardworking Americans.”
The West Coast seafood industry is struggling as chaotic tariff decisions create uncertainty and devastation in Oregon’s vital seafood industry. Reports of major order cancellations paired with a prolific pink shrimp harvest have set up Oregon’s rural, coastal communities for potentially ruinous losses without support from the USDA.
The request asks the USDA to use a legal authority known as “Section 32” to stimulate demand during challenging economic times by buying surplus foods, which are then distributed to schools, childcare centers, and food banks in need.
“As the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) continues its work to develop a national seafood strategy that provides economic opportunity to rural communities, promotes production that better nourishes Americans, and secures a robust domestic food supply, we urge USDA to extend support and relief at the earliest opportunity,” the Oregon lawmakers wrote.
“The loss of this significant market, coupled with the United Kingdom’s recent denial of the industry’s request for the United Kingdom to suspend its existing 20% tariff on imports of U.S. Pacific pink shrimp, poses a serious threat to the industry as supply increases rapidly with no viable outlet,” the legislators cautioned. “We urge you to use your Section 32 purchase authority to support these hardworking Americans and businesses at every point along the supply chain, and to mitigate the economic impact from the loss of these foreign markets to our coastal communities.”
The West Coast seafood industry has voiced its urgent need for timely federal support.
"We are incredibly grateful to Senator Wyden and the Oregon delegation for supporting the pink shrimp industry during these tumultuous and uncertain times,” West Coast Seafood Processors Association Director Lori Steele said. “A Section 32 purchase from USDA would help offset some of the major losses we are seeing in our global markets and provide an outlet for our product in the U.S. just as the 2025 season ramps up. We appreciate our delegation's understanding of how important this is to Oregon's coastal communities.”
Full text of the letter is here.
Related Files
Next Article Previous Article
