In this Jan. 3, 2013 file photo, a worker collects pieces of shark fins dried on the rooftop of a factory building in Hong Kong. A new set of Chinese tariffs on U.S. seafood includes products made from shark fins. China’s one of the biggest buyers of shark fins, as the product is used to make shark fin soup, an Asian delicacy. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)
PORTLAND, Maine — A new set of Chinese tariffs on United States seafood, including items made from shark fins, could jeopardize what remains of the American industry for the controversial products.
China announced the 25 percent tariffs in mid-June that are expected to apply to exported American goods such as lobster and salmon starting July. They also will apply to whole or cut shark fins, as well as shark fin products that are canned or preserved, according to a Chinese government website.
The US has long banned “shark finning,” a practice long reviled by animal welfare groups that involves removing the fin from a shark and discarding the animal at sea. It is still legal to remove and sell the fin of a legally harvested shark after it is brought to land.

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