NOAA Restricted Philippine Blue Swimming Crab Imports Starting June 11, 2026
CBP title: National Marine Fisheries Service Restricts Imports from the Philippines Blue Swimming Crab Fisheries under the Marine Mammal Protection Act
This message is from June 11, 2026. Later CSMS messages may have changed it. See the latest trade news
What did CBP announce?
CBP reported that NOAA Fisheries denied comparability findings for two Philippine blue swimming crab fisheries and issued new comparability findings for Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. As a result, seafood imports from the flagged Philippine blue swimming crab fisheries were restricted as of June 11, 2026. Affected HTS codes required a Certification of Admissibility (COA) at entry to confirm admissibility. NOAA Fisheries published resources listing the flagged HTS codes and countries of origin.
What is Allied's position?
At the time, this meant entries of blue swimming crab from the flagged Philippine fisheries needed a Certification of Admissibility before we could clear them. The message does not state an end date for this restriction, so it may still apply to current shipments. Clients importing blue swimming crab or related seafood from the Philippines should ask us to review their entries and confirm current COA requirements before shipping.
General information, not legal advice.
What does the CBP message say?
On May 12, 2026, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) denied the comparability findings for the two blue swimming crab fisheries from the Philippines. In addition, NOAA Fisheries issued comparability findings for the blue swimming crab fisheries for Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam (https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2026-09429).
As a result, seafood imports from the Philippines blue swimming crab fisheries will be restricted as of June 11, 2026. Please see the NOAA Fisheries resource below for the U.S. HTS codes flagged from the Philippines that will require a Certification of Admissibility (COA) upon entry to confirm admissibility.
Resources on the Harmonized Tariff Schedule Codes and Country of Origin flagged under the MMPA import restrictions and associated prohibited fisheries are available online: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/outreach-materials/harmonized-tariff-codes-and-other-resources-marine-mammal-protection
More information about these nations’ comparability finding reports and other MMPA Import Provisions updates is available online: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/international-affairs/2025-marine-mammal-protection-act-comparability-finding-determinations (https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/international-affairs/marine-mammal-protection-act-comparability-finding-determinations-harvesting)
Questions on these import prohibitions can be directed to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) at one of the following emails:
• For information relating to the MMPA Import Provisions, comparability finding determinations, and affected fish products, contact MMPA.LOFF@noaa.gov (mailto:MMPA.LOFF@noaa.gov).
• For technical assistance on COA requirements, contact trademonitoring.support@noaa.gov (mailto:trademonitoring.support@noaa.gov).
Questions can also be directed to CBP at strategicenforcementbranch@cbp.dhs.gov (mailto:strategicenforcementbranch@cbp.dhs.gov).
Related Message Number(s): CSMS# 67590021, CSMS# 67055632