Press Releases

Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) issued the following statement on the U.S. and E.U. agreeing to lift their ban on shellfish trade effective February 24, 2022.

“Lifting the decade-long ban on shellfish trade between the United States and European Union is long overdue and a major win for Washington’s shellfish growers. Before this trade freeze, Washington was exporting hundreds of thousands of pounds of shellfish to the European Union annually. The Washington shellfish industry is a key part of our state’s economy, directly employing over 3,200 people in rural areas and contributing over $270 million annually to our economy.

“President Biden and U.S. Trade Representative Tai’s leadership in negotiating this agreement will help propel Washington state’s shellfish economy for years to come.

The shellfish ban with Europe was raised at an August 2021 roundtable that Rep. DelBene hosted with the U.S. Trade Representative in Washington state.