From SeafoodNews, 4 January - U.S. President Joe Biden has signed an executive order closing a sanctions loophole that allowed the U.S. to import large quantities of Russian-caught pollock, cod, salmon and crab processed in China.

The loophole allows third-country-processed Russian seafood to be exported to the U.S. and undercut prices for Alaskan harvesters and processors, but the effort has been met with strong opposition within the U.S. by seafood importers who want cheap Russian fish products.

One Massachusetts company urged Senator Edward Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, to block the proposed import ban, stating that they have no other access to fish products other than Russian fish, and another importer that buys Russian fish has also expressed concerns about the ban.

The European Union also currently bans imports of Russian seafood, and with the new, stricter U.S. restrictions, Russia will be denied access to two of the world's largest seafood markets.