Two-thirds of the live lobster sold overseas by the U.S. last year ended up on plates in Asia, up 36 percent from the year before.
The growth in the $231.9 million Asian market is welcomed by the Maine lobster industry, which accounts for 83 percent of the U.S. haul. The increase helps offset Maine losses in Europe, which spent $40.3 million less on live U.S. lobster in 2017 than it had the year before, according to WISERTrade.org, a firm that tracks exports and international trade.
The main culprit? A Canadian trade deal that makes that country’s lobster cheaper for Europeans to buy.