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Trump administration launches new seafood labels, website in 'America First' strategy

By
FOX Local
Economy
Published October 25, 2026 10:24 PM EDT
Published October 25, 2026 10:24 PM EDT
article

Live lobsters are seen in a basket at Three Sons Lobster and Fish on July 21, 2012 in Portland, Maine. A mild winter and warmer than usual spring caused lobsters to shed their shells six weeks earlier than usual which resulted in an overabundance of

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The Brief

    • The Trump Administration introduced a comprehensive plan aimed at revitalizing the domestic commercial fishing industry, supporting coastal economies, and shielding American fisheries—such as Maine lobster fleets—from foreign competition.
    • Responding to industry concerns about burdensome rules, the strategy focuses on cutting regulatory red tape while deploying over $5 billion in USDA-guaranteed loans to expand and modernize seafood and meat processing infrastructure.
    • The White House launched Seafood.gov as an information clearinghouse and introduced voluntary FDA labeling to help consumers identify and purchase domestically harvested products.

The Trump Administration launched a new website and is introducing new food labels to spotlight the president’s America First Seafood Strategy designed to bolster the nation’s fishing industry. 

Big picture view:

The White House says the strategy recognizes U.S. fishermen as essential to the nation’s economic strength, food security, coastal prosperity and national resilience. 

The strategy prioritizes rebuilding infrastructure by reducing what the administration calls regulatory barriers to expansion and modernization, according to a release. Cutting barriers addresses the results of a 2026 NOAA survey of commercial fishing crews that found that 70% believed fishing rules were too restrictive. Trump has positioned himself as an enemy of bureaucracy and red tape, hoping one result of that tack will be to make the fishing industry more of an ally.

The strategy also seeks to help restore profitability for U.S. fishermen, especially Maine lobster fisheries, and protect them from unfair competition. 

Dig deeper:

The new website Seafood.gov, the White House says, will be "a one-stop destination for both fishermen and consumers to access "clear information about federal seafood initiatives and the science and health-based reasons to choose American seafood." 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is also proposing voluntary "U.S. Caught Seafood" and "Made with U.S. Caught Seafood" labels. Those labels are designed to help consumers clearly identify which seafood is caught and harvested by the American fishing industry. 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is proposing the voluntary use of "U.S. Caught Seafood" and "Made with U.S. Caught Seafood" labels to help customers easily distinguish domestic seafood as part of the Trump administration's "American Seafood Fir

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President Donald Trump also made more than $5 billion in guaranteed loans through the U.S. Department of Agriculture available to expand modernized meat and seafood processing. 

The new labels are already available for download at the Seafood.gov website.

What He's Saying:

This past week, Trump officially proclaimed October as National Seafood Month.

"For generations, our fishermen have braved rough seas and punishing storms, spending long days far from home to earn an honest living and provide for the people they love," Trump said, adding that the U.S. seafood industry harvests nearly 8.5 billion pounds of world-class food annually, sustains more than a million jobs, and fuels more than $173 billion in commerce. "And now, as we usher in a new Golden Age of seafood production, we are ensuring our fishing communities remain places where the next generation can raise a family, build a business, and pursue their own share of the American Dream."

The Source: Information for this story came from the White House and the Associated Press. This story was reported from Orlando.





 

EconomyU.S.U.S.