Southstream’s Tomas Conde Weighs In on New U.S.-Origin Seafood Labels
Leading seafood trade publication IntraFish recently asked U.S. importers, distributors, and processors how new U.S.-origin seafood labels will affect the industry. Among the voices it sought out was Tomas Conde, Southstream Seafoods’ Vice President of Purchasing for Asia and foodservice programs.
Conde was featured alongside executives from Channel Fish Processing, Santa Monica Seafood, BSF, and Maritime Products International in IntraFish’s November 3 report on how the industry views the new labels.
What’s changing
On October 27, the FDA released draft guidance for voluntary labels like “U.S. Caught Seafood,” “U.S. Farm-Raised,” and “Made with U.S. Seafood,” which may carry American flag imagery. The labels are part of the administration’s America First Seafood Strategy, and public comment runs through December 28.
Industry leaders broadly support the goal of promoting domestic seafood. Their concern is execution: with roughly 80% of U.S. seafood imported, a flag on the front of a pack could leave buyers unsure where a product was actually caught and processed.
Tomas Conde’s take: price still drives the purchase
Based on what he’s seen in the industry, Conde expects interest in the new labels to fade over time. He compared it to the period after countries banned Russian fish following the invasion of Ukraine: customers asked more about origin while the story was in the headlines. “When the news cycle slowed down, so did the request about where the fish was coming from,” he said.
He added that EU buyers have kept purchasing Russian fish because it remains competitively priced, a sign that cost still drives most buying decisions. As he put it, “People are still buying with their wallet.”
Conde does see room for the labels to matter. Within a year or so, he said, shoppers may find labeled and unlabeled products on the same shelf, and some may reach for the U.S.-labeled option when price isn’t the deciding factor. It’s a grounded, market-tested view from someone who works every day where global supply meets real customer demand.
What it means for our restaurant partners
Labels may change, but the fundamentals don’t: quality, consistency, and value on the plate. Southstream’s purchasing team tracks these shifts so our partners don’t have to, and we’ll keep sharing what we’re seeing as the FDA guidance takes shape.
Read the full article on IntraFish, and visit the Southstream Seafoods website to learn more about our sourcing and foodservice programs. As always, contact a Southstream team member for all your whitefish needs.
