Effective January 1, 2026, nations with fisheries denied comparability findings under the Marine Mammal Protection Act Import Provisions regulation are prohibited from importing fish and fish products from those fisheries into the United States. Nations that have been denied comparability findings may reapply at any time. This page provides the current status of the comparability finding determinations for harvesting nations, including those that have changed due to reapplications.
International
On This Page
List 1: Nations Receiving Comparability Findings for All Export/Exempt Fisheries
List 2: Nations Denied Comparability Findings for Some Fisheries
List 3: Nations Denied Comparability Findings for All Fisheries
2025 Comparability Finding Determinations
On September 2, 2025, NOAA Fisheries announced its 2025 Marine Mammal Protection Act comparability finding determinations. These determinations assessed approximately 2,500 fisheries in 135 nations seeking to export fish and fish products to the United States. Comparability finding determinations are made for each nation on a fishery-by-fishery basis. A total of 240 fisheries from 46 nations were denied comparability findings.
NOAA Fisheries conducted a detailed analysis of each comparability finding application submitted by harvesting nations. Details regarding each nation’s comparability finding determination are categorized in the lists below. Each harvesting nation’s Comparability Finding Application Final Report from 2025, unless otherwise noted, can be accessed by clicking on the nation under Lists 1, 2, and 3 below. Additional documents detailing NOAA Fisheries’ evaluation process, the fisheries denied and granted comparability findings for each nation, and the trade information associated with fishery denials (including Harmonized Tariff Codes) can be found at the bottom of this page.
Seafood import restrictions and how they are implemented
Please note: Comparability finding determinations are valid through December 31, 2029.
For additional questions, please contact MMPA.LOFF@noaa.gov.
Comparability Finding Determination Updates
Swimming Crab Fisheries
On October 31, 2025, the United States Court of International Trade ordered that the January 1, 2026, effective date of the import ban for the swimming crab fisheries in Indonesia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam was stayed pending NOAA Fisheries’ reconsideration of the comparability findings determinations for these fisheries that target swimming crabs:
Indonesia Fishery ID 12391
Philippine Fishery IDs 2129 and 2130
Sri Lanka Fishery ID 2705
Vietnam Fishery ID 2988 Read More→
