Supply Chain &
Import Costs.

The three cost factors

Every shipment of fish from Japan to Washington DC passes through the same chain: air freight from Fukuoka or Haneda to Dulles (IAD), customs clearance with applicable duties, and terminal handling at the cargo facility. Each of the three legs has gotten meaningfully more expensive over the past year, and all three are operating at the same time.

This page explains each one factually, with the actual numbers. It is not a complaint — cost volatility is part of operating a direct-import business — but transparency about what is happening seems more useful than silence.

1 · US tariffs on Japanese fish

The tariff situation on Japanese imports has changed four times since April 2025 and is still not fully resolved. The short version: there was a 15% tariff on Japanese goods from August 2025 through late February 2026, then the Supreme Court struck down the legal basis for it, and a 10% replacement tariff is currently in effect under a different statute.

Timeline

• Apr 2, 2025 President Trump signs Executive Order 14257 establishing a 10% global baseline tariff and a 24% country-specific rate for Japan under IEEPA (International Emergency Economic Powers Act).
• Apr 9, 2025 The 24% Japan rate is scheduled to take effect. That afternoon, the administration announces a 90-day suspension for Japan and other negotiating partners, dropping to the 10% baseline while bilateral talks proceed.
• Jul 7, 2025 As the pause nears expiration, the deadline is extended to August 1. The administration warns of a 25% rate if no agreement is reached.
• Jul 22, 2025 Negotiators reach a preliminary framework agreement. The US agrees to a 15% IEEPA tariff on Japan in exchange for Japan committing to $550 billion in US investments and increased agricultural and energy purchases.
• Sep 4, 2025 Executive Order 14345 implements the deal. The 15% rate applies retroactively to August 7 for most goods including fish.
• Feb 20, 2026 The Supreme Court rules 6–3 in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump that IEEPA does not authorize the President to impose tariffs. Chief Justice Roberts, writing for the majority, held that the statute's silence on tariffs — despite Congress consistently using explicit language when delegating tariff authority — was decisive. The IEEPA-based tariffs are vacated.
• Feb 24, 2026 All IEEPA tariffs are terminated. The same day, the administration implements a 10% surcharge under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 — a different statutory authority that explicitly permits balance-of-payments tariffs, capped at 15% and limited to 150 days unless extended by Congress.
• Apr 2026 (current) 10% Section 122 tariff is in effect on Japanese imports including fish. The 150-day clock runs to approximately mid-July 2026, at which point Congressional extension or expiration will be required.

IEEPA refunds — CAPE

CBP launched CAPE (Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries) on April 20, 2026 — a system to process refunds of duties paid under the now-invalid IEEPA tariffs. Phase 1, which went live on April 20, covers unliquidated entries and entries liquidated within the prior 80 days, estimated at roughly 63% of affected entries. Phase 2, covering older liquidated entries, has not yet been announced. Refunds for accepted CAPE declarations are expected within 60–90 days.

2 · Air cargo fuel surcharge (ANA Cargo)

Fish travels on ANA Cargo flights from Fukuoka or Haneda to Dulles. The fuel surcharge is set by ANA Cargo and revised monthly — or since April 2026, semi-monthly — based on the Singapore Jet Kerosene (Platts) index. The surcharge applies to the entire shipment weight including packaging and ice packs.

The surcharge was relatively stable throughout 2024 and 2025, ranging between ¥64 and ¥106/kg. It held in the ¥71–85/kg band from mid-2025 through the end of Q1 2026. Then in April 2026 it moved sharply: from ¥78/kg on April 1 to ¥247/kg on April 16 — a tripling in two weeks. It has since eased slightly to ¥226/kg from May 1, but remains at historically high levels.

3 · IAD cargo terminal charges

Every air waybill (AWB) cleared through the cargo terminal at Dulles carries a handling fee. This has risen significantly since 2024 — and the structure of the charge has become more complex. In 2024, there was a single processing fee of $10 on top of the base terminal charge. The current bill includes the base terminal charge plus a processing fee, a credit card fee, and a convenience fee — different charges added over time, now totaling $37.98 in fees on top of the base rate.

The terminal charge has risen 55% from the 2024 baseline — from $150 to $232.98 — in roughly two and a half years. Part of this is inflation; part is the layering of new fee categories. The practical effect is the same either way: a higher fixed cost on every shipment regardless of fish weight or value.

Combined picture

These three costs operate independently and compound. A shipment arriving in late April 2026 faces all three simultaneously: the 10% Section 122 tariff on declared value, a fuel surcharge at roughly three times the Q1 level, and terminal handling costs that have more than doubled since 2024. None of these is within our control. What we can control is how honestly we account for them.

What this means for retail prices

Some of these cost increases are absorbed — margin compression is an unavoidable part of operating in a volatile import environment. Some portion is passed through to retail prices. We will not pretend otherwise. When prices change, it is because the underlying import cost has changed, not arbitrarily.

The tariff situation in particular remains fluid. The Section 122 surcharge runs to approximately mid-July 2026 unless extended by Congress. IEEPA refunds through the CAPE system are pending for eligible entries. Fuel surcharges are revised every two weeks and can move quickly in either direction. We will update this page as the situation develops.