The geoduck, a unique clam native to Washington State and Canada’s British Columbia, is facing unprecedented challenges due to ongoing trade tensions. The U.S.-China trade war just got a whole lot worse. For U.S. geoduck harvesters, it means a stiff 125% tariff on their exports to China, while harvesters from Canada enjoy a much more palatable 25% tariff. That economic pressure has severely impacted both divers and fishermen, forcing many to change how they earn a living. It has affected the market dynamics for this delicacy, which used to be only served for special events such as Chinese New Year and business meetings.
Geoducks have a flavor that’s uniquely their own, making them really stand out. James Austin, president of Canada’s Underwater Harvesters Association, evokes their rich flavor with the phrase “tastes like the sea”. Image credit: US Fish and Wildlife Service Harvesting this clam is no easy feat, as it involves skilled divers working dozens of feet beneath the surface. In 2022, Washington State brought in record-breaking $22.4 million in revenues from geoduck harvest. In fact, they harvested over 3.4 million pounds of these highly-sought clams for market. Yet as of late April this year, divers had failed to deliver. They’ve thus far only succeeded in marketing roughly half of the projected yield from state tracts.
The sudden jump in tariffs has severely impacted the geoduck market, raising prices and limiting the availability. Before the tariffs, prices were up to $100 per pound in restaurants. The perfect storm has forced Canadian geoducks to fetch $17 per pound. Once Canada slapped a 25% tariff in March, prices were cut all the way down to $12 a pound. The tariffs on U.S. products are a marked contrast to U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods. As a result, buyers are turning to Canadian geoducks for pricing stability, driving up sales by a large margin.
Derrick McRae, a diver and harvester, expressed the uncertainty that many in the industry feel: “We’re just kind of waiting on the edge of our seats to see what happens next.” This sentiment plays out on the ground across the community, as tens of thousands of workers are stuck in uncertainty about their job security. According to George, a diver who has spent years in the field, “It’s the first time in 24 years where I don’t know when or if we’ll be going back to work or if I have to find another job or what we’re going to do.”
The ramifications of these new tariffs reach far beyond the direct cost at checkout. Ian Child, another diver, noted that while he believes “the demand is still over there for the product,” the current political climate complicates operations significantly. He continued to underscore how the tariff disruption negatively impacts American household incomes. It doesn’t just blow the wheels off of the whole farming system.
Kyle Purser highlighted the stress that these changes have placed on families: “When you’re watching your money disappear and you’ve got families to feed and not knowing when you’re going to get your next paycheck, it’s very stressful.” Harvesters are now left with dwindling contracts. As Reeves pointed out, “If only half the pounds that were contracted are harvested, then our revenue is halved.”
As U.S. geoduck harvesters struggle with these overwhelming burdens, Canadian firms seem to be weathering the trade war better. Yang Bin, a Canadian geoduck distributor, stated, “We don’t care about U.S. tariffs because we can get geoduck from other countries with stable prices.” We’re in a rapidly changing world of trade dynamics. Consequently, Canada is projected to be able to grow into a harvest of 2.75 million pounds of geoducks by 2025, producing an estimated 60 million Canadian dollars (approximately 43.4 million USD) in annual revenue.
Even with the hardships imposed by tariffs and trade talks, geoduck harvesters love what they do. George encapsulated this sentiment: “When we’re doing the job, and it’s not all this other political stuff behind the scenes and everything else, we love this.”
It is still an uncertain future for U.S. geoduck harvesters as they continue to face pressures from complicated international trade disputes and foreign market competition. Accelerating shifts These radical shifts in revenue potential and consumer behavior are being exacerbated by mounting geopolitical tensions. It’s evident that both regions will be working hard, though very differently, to stay ahead as the market continues to change.
