CAMBRIDGE, Md. - Crab processors are feeling the pinch due to what they say is a dramatic increase in imported crab meat and their lower prices.
Now, one Senator is urging the governor to request federal tariffs on imported crab meat.
Crab processors say their business provides jobs not only for crab pickers but watermen as well. But the low price of imported crab meat has made them say they simply cannot compete. And J.M. Clayton Seafood in Cambridge says it's getting harder to stay in business.
"The product imported from Venezuela is being sold at a much lower price than we can afford and it has driven our cost down to the point where our watermen are getting paid probably less than what they'd like to get paid. But, I mean we're charging less than what we need," says Co-owner of J.M. Clayton Company Joe Brooks.
When you buy jumbo lump crab for a pound local crab meet is going to be around $35 to $40. Whereas, imported crab meat is gonna be $11 to $12.
Senator Johnny Mautz is calling on Governor Wes Moore to request federal tariffs to keep that competition fair.
Mautz says, "The nub of this is that we're taking imported crab to meet without any tariffs. There's nothing to balance the marketplace for our local producers." He added, "We need to make sure that, that message is sent loud and clear that our Maryland crab processors are important.
They're essential and they need our help right now. Tariffs are one way to get to that issue and that's why I wrote the letter."
Moore tells WBOC that he's on board.
"We're gonna be working in partnership with our federal delegation, with our local delegation, and with our state folks to make sure that everything we can do to support our state workers, we're going to. Everything that we can do to support our watermen and our fisherman we're going to. We understand the challenges that our existing," says Moore.
