Office of International Affairs, Trade, and Commerce

The Office of International Affairs, Trade, and Commerce engages other countries bilaterally and through various multilateral international fisheries organizations. We promote sound management and conservation of global fisheries resources in a manner consistent with U.S. domestic fisheries policy. Our goal is sustainable global resources and a “level playing field” for U.S. fishermen and seafood producers.

International Engagement

Because fish and other marine wildlife cross national boundaries, the United States shares marine life with other countries. The way other countries manage these shared marine resources can therefore directly affect the status of fish stocks and protected or endangered species of importance to the United States. We participate in various international fisheries organizations to achieve effective and responsible marine stewardship and ensure sustainable fisheries management.

• Regional agreements
• Global agreements
• Bilateral arrangements
• Trade agreement

Learn more about these agreements

International Cooperation

Successful fisheries management and conservation practices can only be achieved through international cooperation and collaboration. Working with our international partners, the Office of International Affairs, Trade, and Commerce works to combat Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated fishing, promote comprehensive research on fish and other marine animals that travel through international waters, and preserve endangered species that share our oceans.

• Monitoring, control, and surveillance
• Protected species and bycatch mitigation
• Improving fisheries governance
• International species conservation and management

Regulatory Programs

The seafood sector plays an important role in the U.S. economy, generating approximately 1.5 million jobs and providing a nutritious source of protein to the American public. As the largest importer and fifth largest exporter of seafood, trade in this sector plays a vital role in the United States.

• Trade monitoring
• MMPA Import Provisions Rule
• Seafood Import Monitoring Program

Combating IUU Fishing

The United States imports more than 90 percent of its seafood. NOAA Fisheries works to ensure that high demand for imported seafood does not create incentives for illegal fishing activity. Working in partnership with other U.S. government agencies, foreign governments and entities, international organizations, non-government organizations, and the private sector is crucial to effectively combating IUU fishing.

• FAQs on IUU Fishing
• Biennial Reports to Congress on IUU Fishing, Bycatch and Shark Catch
• U.S. Interagency Working Group on IUU Fishing

Seafood Trade

Our goals are to promote U.S. seafood exports, pursue fair market access for the U.S. seafood industry, shape seafood trade strategies, and enhance global recognition of U.S. seafood as a sustainable choice. We proactively engage with the private sector, seafood industry representatives, and other stakeholders to tackle issues regarding seafood import monitoring, export promotion, and market access issues and to provide market analysis.

Our policy work advances broader NOAA priorities related to seafood trade and commerce, including promoting U.S. seafood competitiveness and other policy objectives through bilateral and multilateral trade agreements, trade facilitation, and export promotion.

Trade Agreements

We actively engage with other nations bilaterally and multilaterally through various trade agreements to support trade and fisheries policy priorities. We collaborate with other U.S. government agencies to effectively implement relevant provisions of free trade agreements and influence negotiations of new agreements.

Trade Monitoring

As part of our mission to sustainably manage fishery resources, we work with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to provide support to seafood dealers that helps ensure imported seafood is caught and imported legally.

Learn more about our trade monitoring programs:

• Antarctic Marine Living Resources Program
• Highly Migratory Species International Trade Program
• Seafood Import Monitoring Program
• Tuna Tracking and Verification Program

Seafood traders can also use our Seafood Import and Export Tool to identify which NOAA trade monitoring programs they must comply with for their specific products.

Market Access

We negotiate and issue export certificates to maintain market access on behalf of U.S. seafood producers and to facilitate trade. We also collaborate with the International Trade Administration’s U.S. Commercial Service and U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service to prevent, reduce, and remove barriers to trade and promote U.S. seafood exports.

Commerce and Certification

The United States produces about $10 billion dollars worth of processed seafood each year; exports represent approximately half of that value. Our office works to ensure confidence in U.S. seafood by protecting and strengthening the seafood market through global trade, establishing partnerships with industry and consumer groups, providing seafood inspection services, and analyzing seafood safety risks.

We offer voluntary seafood inspection services to processors and importers, domestically and internationally, to assist in meeting U.S. regulations and generally accepted seafood production best practices governing fishery products for human consumption. This service supports seafood safety and includes sanitation inspection, system and process audits, grading and inspection, export certification, and product laboratory analyses.

Commerce and certification provides export services to facilitate exports of seafood products that meet the unique requirements of each importing country and any other specific industry buyer criteria. We represent the United States in negotiations with other countries regarding their import requirements for seafood products from the United States. We serve as the Competent Authority to issue health and catch certification for U.S. seafood exports.

• Seafood Inspection Program
• Export Certification