Exporting Seafood to the USA in 2026: What you need to know

Exporting seafood to the United States can be highly profitable, but compliance is complex. U.S. authorities may examine not only whether seafood is safe, but also where it was harvested, how it was processed, whether it is correctly labeled, and whether its origin can be traced through the supply chain.

For exporters in 2026, the biggest priorities are FDA food-safety compliance, NOAA traceability requirements,the new Marine Mammal Protection Act Import Provision, and accurate customs documentation.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the safety, sanitation and labeling of most seafood. On the other hand, NOAA Fisheries administers seafood trade-monitoring and conservation programs including the Seafood Import Monitoring Program and Marine Mammal Protection Act requirements.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) manages customs entry, classification, origin, duties and the Automated Commercial Environment, or ACE. Also, the USDA  plays an important role in country-of-origin retail labeling and, unusually, regulates imported Siluriformes fish such as catfish and pangasius through the Food Safety and Inspection Service rather than FDA's normal seafood framework.

Depending on the species, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and additional NOAA programs may also become involved.

That is why exporters should determine regulatory requirements from the species, scientific name, product form, harvest country, harvest fishery, production method and HTS classification rather than assuming all seafood is treated identically.

Most seafood imported into the U.S. is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the Seafood HACCP regulations in 21 CFR Part 123.

Processors must identify food-safety hazards that are reasonably likely to occur and establish controls where necessary.

Depending on the product, hazards may include:

• Pathogens
• Histamine or scombrotoxin
• Parasites
• Natural toxins
• Drug residues
• Environmental contaminants
• Allergens

A generic HACCP certificate is not enough. Your HACCP program should reflect the actual species, processing method, packaging, storage conditions and intended use of your seafood.

U.S. seafood importers also have responsibilities under FDA rules to verify that their foreign suppliers are processing seafood in accordance with U.S. requirements.

Foreign facilities that manufacture, process, pack or hold food for the U.S. market generally must register with FDA unless an exemption applies.

Foreign facilities must also appoint a U.S. agent.

Importantly, 2026 is an FDA food facility registration renewal year. Required facilities must renew registrations between October 1 and December 31, 2026.

Every commercial seafood shipment also generally requires FDA Prior Notice before arriving in the United States.

Exporters should therefore make sure that facility details, manufacturer information and shipment data supplied to their importer or customs broker are accurate.

One of the most important changes affecting seafood trade in 2026 comes from the Marine Mammal Protection Act, or MMPA.

From January 1, 2026, seafood harvested from certain foreign fisheries can be prohibited from entering the United States if NOAA determines that those fisheries do not meet U.S. marine-mammal protection standards.

This means exporters may need to know more than just the species and country of origin.

They may need to identify:

• The actual harvesting fishery
• Fishing method or gear
• Harvest area
• Vessel or production source
• Applicable NOAA fishery status

In some cases, a NOAA Certification of Admissibility may also be required.

For exporters, this makes fishery-level traceability increasingly important.

NOAA's Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP) requires additional traceability information for certain seafood categories considered vulnerable to illegal fishing or seafood fraud.

Covered products include categories such as shrimp, tuna, swordfish, grouper, sharks, Atlantic cod, Pacific cod, red snapper, sea cucumber and several others.

For SIMP products, importers may need detailed harvest and chain-of-custody information.

Foreign exporters should therefore be prepared to provide reliable information relating to the harvest vessel or farm, species, harvest location, landing information and subsequent movement of the seafood through the supply chain.

Seafood companies should also prepare for FDA's Food Traceability Rule under FSMA Section 204.

The original compliance date was January 20, 2026. However, U.S. legislation now directs FDA not to enforce the rule before July 20, 2028.

For seafood businesses, this should be viewed as additional preparation time rather than a reason to ignore traceability.

Large U.S. retailers, distributors and importers are already placing greater emphasis on lot-level supply-chain data.

Seafood labels must comply with U.S. requirements.

Depending on the product, exporters should check:

• Correct seafood market name
• Ingredient declaration
• Net quantity
• Allergen declaration
• Business information
• Nutrition labeling
• Country-of-origin marking

Fish and Crustacean shellfish are major U.S. food allergens, and the specific species generally needs to be identified where allergen labeling applies.

Exporters should also distinguish FDA labeling requirements from USDA's Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) rules, which can require U.S. retailers to identify origin and whether certain seafood is wild or farm-raised.

Before shipping seafood to the U.S., confirm the scientific species, facility registration, HACCP compliance, labeling, HTS classification, MMPA fishery status and SIMP applicability.

Most importantly, build a system that can trace seafood from the vessel or farm through processing and export. In 2026, successful U.S. seafood compliance is no longer just about having the correct documents at the border.

It is about being able to prove that your seafood is safe, legal, correctly identified and traceable from harvest to import.