U.S. Gives Panama Five-Year Pass for Dolphin-Safe Tuna Imports
Published Date: 4/15/2026
Notice
Summary
The U.S. just gave Panama a 5-year green light to import yellowfin tuna caught in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, as long as Panama sticks to dolphin-safe fishing rules. This means Panamanian tuna products can keep swimming into U.S. markets from April 2026 through March 2031. Tuna fishers, importers, and seafood lovers should note this update, which keeps trade flowing smoothly without extra costs or delays.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
Panama Approved to Export Yellowfin Tuna
If you import, sell, or buy yellowfin tuna, Panama may export yellowfin tuna and tuna products harvested in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean to the United States for the 5-year period April 1, 2026 through March 31, 2031, provided Panama complies with the Agreement on the International Dolphin Conservation Program (AIDCP) and IATTC obligations. The National Marine Fisheries Service issued this 5-year "affirmative finding" under the Marine Mammal Protection Act that allows those Panamanian purse seine-caught products to be imported into the U.S.
Annual Reviews and Possible Termination
NMFS will review Panama’s compliance each year during the 5-year period and can terminate the affirmative finding if Panama no longer meets the requirements in 50 CFR 216.24(f) or is consistently failing to enforce violations. That means imports allowed by this finding could be stopped before March 31, 2031 if annual reviews find noncompliance.
Intermediary Nation Embargo Rule Still Applies
The new affirmative finding does not change the intermediary-nation embargo rule at 50 CFR 216.24(f)(9); that embargo can still apply to exports from a nation that exports yellowfin tuna to the U.S. if that tuna was subject to a U.S. import ban under the MMPA. Importers should note that embargo rules remain in force even with Panama’s new finding.
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