PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 25, 2020
Lobster dealer Hugh Reynolds almost couldn’t believe it when he heard the news on Friday that Europe had agreed to eliminate tariffs on U.S. lobster – 8 percent on live lobster and up to 20 percent on frozen or value-added lobster products – as part of a trade deal. The industry, with its processing and wholesale arms, pumps $1.5 billion a year into the state economy. The trade deal, which still needs ratification by the European parliament and its 27 member nations, would put U.S. lobster dealers back on a level playing field with their Canadian rivals.