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BUSINESS Monday 23 noveMber 2020
Lobster biz hopes for stability after tumultuous Trump era

By PATRICK WHITTLE able for the U.S. industry,"
Associated Press he said. "Chaos is the en-
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — emy of the lobster industry."
President Donald Trump Trump's administration also
positioned himself as a boasted of environmental
friend of New England's policies that it said benefit-
lobstermen, but members ed lobstermen.
of the industry said they are In June, Trump announced
looking forward to some- a rollback of protections
thing that has been lacking at Northeast Canyons and
in the crustacean business: Seamounts Marine National
stability. Monument, a 5,000-square-
Trump's trade war with Chi- mile conservation area that
na led to a rocky few years he reopened to commer-
for the industry, which is cial fishing. He character-
based mostly in Maine. ized the area as important
Trump, who campaigned for Maine fishermen, but it's
hard in Maine and won an actually closer to Rhode Is-
electoral vote in the state, land.
touted economic aid and A bigger environmental is-
environmental reforms in- sue facing lobstermen is
tended to benefit the busi- the threat of new protec-
ness. The Republican Party In this Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020, photo, Stephanie Nadeau, owner of The Lobster Company, tions designed to protect
even had Maine lobster- holds a lobster at her shipping facility in Arundel, Maine. rare North Atlantic right
man Jason Joyce speak at Associated Press whales. The whales are pro-
its national convention. tected under the federal
What the industry really last a week, was it going to ment of Agriculture to dangerous weather and Endangered Species Act
needs is assurance that it last a month, was it going provide lobster fishermen the changing prices of bait and are vulnerable to en-
will be able to sell lobsters to last four years? How do with financial assistance and fuel. tanglement in fishing gear.
to other countries without you operate around that?" to make up for lost income The impending presidency Maine's lobstermen are
punitive tariffs, said Stepha- U.S. lobster exports to Chi- from the Chinese tariffs. He of Joe Biden represents a willing to work with any
nie Nadeau, owner of The na, a major buyer of sea- also brokered a new deal chance at steadiness, said administration on the new
Lobster Company, an Arun- food, fell off a cliff after the with China, which agreed John Sackton, a longtime rules, said Kristan Porter,
del, Maine, dealer. She Trump administration esca- to start buying U.S. lobster industry analyst and found- president of the Maine
and others said they are lated trade hostilities. That again. er of SeafoodNews.com. Lobstermen's Association.
hopeful that assurance will led to heavy tariffs on U.S. It was a whipsaw of a time "I think Biden, by taking It is impossible to know, he
arrive under Democratic lobsters, and exporters saw for an industry that is al- people back to more nor- said, whether the rollout of
President-elect Joe Biden. a drop of more than 80% in ready used to dealing malcy and tackling the vi- rules will be affected by the
"You can't plan. You can't the first half of 2019. with uncertainty because rus, could potentially put change in administration.
live in chaos," she said. "The Then, this summer, Trump of issues such as the fluc- things back to normal, "It's way too early to tell," he
trade war, was it going to directed the U.S. Depart- tuating volume of catch, which would be very favor- said.q

UK signs trade deal with Canada to prepare for Brexit

By DANICA KIRKA ary, it continues to trade the main benefits of leav-
Associated Press with other countries under ing the EU. It is banking on
LONDON (AP) — The U.K. the bloc's umbrella during increased trade with coun-
signed an interim trade a transition period sched- tries such as the United
deal with Canada on Sat- uled to end Dec. 31. With- States and India to offset
urday, giving it more time out a series of new bilater- any negative impact from
to negotiate future trading al agreements, trade with severing ties with the EU,
rules as the British govern- countries around the world which accounted for 47%
ment prepares the country may be hampered by bar- of Britain's overall trade last
for business life outside the riers such as tariffs and in- year.
European Union. creased paperwork. Britain ships goods ranging
The stopgap agreement "Our negotiators have from electric cars to spar-
allows trade between the been working flat-out kling wine to Canada, and
two countries to continue to secure trade deals imports products such as
under the same terms as for the U.K., and from as salmon and maple syrup
Canada's existing treaty early next year we have from the Commonwealth In this Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2019 file photo, British Prime Minister
with the EU while negotia- agreed to start work on a country that also recog- Boris Johnson, left, welcomes Canadian Prime Minister Justin
Trudeau during official arrivals for a NATO leaders meeting at
tors begin work on a new new, bespoke trade deal nizes Queen Elizabeth II as The Grove hotel and resort in Watford, Hertfordshire, England.
bilateral deal between the with Canada that will go head of state. Associated Press
U.K. and Canada, Prime even further in meeting The deal with Canada
Minister Boris Johnson said the needs of our econo- locks in existing trading goods and services last billion) of bilateral trade,
in a statement. Canada my," Johnson said.John- rules that cover 20 bil- year. the government said.
is the U.K.'s eighth-biggest son's government says the lion pounds ($27 billion) of The U.K. has now secured That's less than 12% of the
non-EU trading partner. ability to strike free trade trade between the two post-Brexit trade deals with 1.4 trillion pounds (about
While Britain formally with- agreements with countries countries, or about 1.5% 53 countries accounting $1.9 trillion) of trade Britain
drew from the EU in Janu- around the world is one of of the U.K.'s total trade in for 164 billion pounds ($218 recorded last year.q