EU extends duty-free quotas for pollock, cod and other fish through 2027

The European Union on Monday extended its duty-free import quotas for pollock, cod and other fish through 2027. The quotas had been set to expire at the end of this year.

The EU is the biggest market for U.S. pollock fillets. Of about 116,200 metric tons of frozen pollock fillets the U.S. exported in 2025, about 86%, worth $347 million, went to EU countries, according to NOAA Fisheries trade data. The Netherlands was the top buyer.

The pollock quota allows 340,000 metric tons a year of frozen Alaska pollock, including fillets, into the EU without tariffs. "Alaska pollock" is the species name, and the quota is open to fish from any country except Russia and Belarus, which have been excluded since 2024.

The fish has to be processed in the EU, such as filleted or cut from frozen blocks, to qualify. The quotas also cover cod, including Pacific cod, along with surimi, Pacific salmon, flatfish such as yellowfin sole and rock sole, and fish roe.

The EU kept the current system for one more year because its replacement isn't ready. That version will add sustainability conditions, and the European Commission plans to propose it in early 2027. What those conditions will require, including whether U.S. fisheries management or certifications will count, hasn't been made public.

The Commission estimated the extension will cost the EU about 272 million euros in uncollected import duties in 2027. The regulation takes effect Nov. 17.