The average American eats 20 pounds of seafood each year—about three-fourths of which is imported. New tariffs will increase prices for and reduce consumption of shrimp, salmon, canned tuna, and tilapia—the four most popular seafood products in the United States. That could pit Americans’ heart health against their wallets.
Tariffs will cause Americans to eat less heart-healthy seafood and more heart-unhealthy red meat. Tariffs will hit vulnerable populations particularly hard, in part by contributing to higher overall food prices and steering low-income consumers away from healthy seafood alternatives. Low-income consumers already struggle to incorporate seafood into their diets and fall short of USDA seafood consumption guidelines more than the average American. They also tend to consume seafood lower in healthy omega-3s compared to high-income consumers.
The typical argument for tariffs is that they benefit domestic producers even if that comes at the expense of domestic consumers. However, tariffs on countries that the United States relies heavily on for imported seafood will be a lose-lose. American consumers will be less healthy, and the U.S. seafood industry will be less profitable.
Read the full article on Think Global Health
April 18, 2025