New England Fishermen Worry About Trade Dispute With China

New England fishermen could be caught in the middle of the escalating trade dispute between the United States and China.

In response to Trump administration tariff threats, China is planning its own 25 percent tariff on more than 500 U.S. products, including seafood.

Latest numbers from the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries put the value of seafood caught in Massachusetts in 2016 at $551 million.

But Chatham's Doug Feeney says small boat fishermen like him are already hurting. He's been traveling to China to try to expand his market.

"I've actually been there twice ... trying to sell spiny dogfish, and as that has slowly been growing throughout the years, something like this would be a tremendous hit," he said.

Feeney says while bigger companies may be able to absorb a decrease in sales due to tariffs, he may cut his labor force or put off boat maintenance to make ends meet.