Lawmakers urge Biden to tackle Venezuelan crab meat imports impact on local economy

(WBFF) — Maryland and Virginia lawmakers are calling on President Biden to address the recent surge of crab meat imports from Venezuela. Leaders from both sides of the aisle wrote a letter expressing concern over the impact of imports on the Chesapeake Bay region’s seafood economy, as well as public health.

U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen, Ben Cardin (both D-Md.), Mark Warner, and Tim Kaine (both D-Va.) along with U.S. Representatives Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.), John Sarbanes (D-Md.), Rob Wittman (R-Va.), Andy Harris (R-Md.), Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.), David Trone (D-Md.), and Glenn Ivey (D-Md.) urged the president to launch an investigation through the International Trade Commission to examine the harm imports pose to the American seafood industry. Ultimately, they seek a fairer seafood trade relationship.

“We write to express our significant concerns with the influx of crab meat from Venezuela, which has threatened the viability of local fisheries across the Chesapeake Bay. Domestic seafood producers in Maryland and Virginia have experienced significant strain due to the influx of imported Venezuelan crabmeat, some of which is mislabeled and contaminated. In 2018, Venezuelan crab meat mislabeled as originating from Maryland caused an outbreak of foodborne illnesses, resulting in multiple hospitalizations,” the lawmakers began.

In 2018, there were at least nine confirmed cases of Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection connected to crab meat imported from Venezuela.

ALSO READ | Nine cases of infection in MD due to fresh crab meat from Venezuela

Since then, the supply of imported crab meat has increased, threatening the future livelihood of domestic industry and creating the conditions for a 62 percent decrease in the domestic supply. This has harmed crab fishing industries throughout the Chesapeake Bay, which produces 50 percent of the United States’ total blue crab harvest, a proportion that is now diminishing year over year. There are now fewer than 20 Maryland crab picking and seafood processing companies, down from 53 in 1995, the leaders wrote.

According to a statement from Sen. Van Hollen’s office, the lawmakers pressed the Biden-Harris’ administration to:

1. Direct the United States International Trade Commission to conduct an investigation, per Section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974, looking into the harm caused by Venezuelan crab meat imports and recommending remedies.
2. Use the full array of informal actions available to you to address this trade issue, including through negotiations, utilization of World Trade Organization Committees, bilateral dialogues, and other activities.

Click here to read the full text of the letter.

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