EARLIER THIS MONTH CHINA
RAISED TARIFFS ON TAXES OVER
128 DIFFERENT US PRODUCTS
SHIPPED TO CHINA. RAZORS,
WALNUTS, FRESH STRAWBERRIES,
AND STAINLESS STEEL PIPES.
THEY ARE THREATENING MORE
TARIFFS ON MORE U.S. GOODS.
IN RESPONSE TO THE PRESIDENT
HITTING CHINA WITH HIS OWN
TARIFFS ON STEEL AND ALUMINUM
MADE IN CHINA.
SO FAR LOBSTER HAS NOT BEEN
AFFECTED BY THIS TRADE WAR.
THAT COULD QUICKLY CHANGE.
THAT SHOWS HOW PRECARIOUS THE
FINANCIAL LIFE OF THE
COMMERCIAL FISHERMEN COULD BE.
AND HOW QUICKLY THEY COULD COME
BACK IN TROUBLE.
WHEN YOU GET IT IN YOUR
BLOOD IT'S LIKE ANYTHING ELSE.
IF YOU LOVE IT, WHATEVER IT IS,
YOU LOVE IT AND YOU WANT TO DO
IT.
THAT'S THE WAY IT IS WITH US.
Reporter: THAT WAS BILLY NILES
A THIRD-GENERATION COMMERCIAL
FISHERMEN WHO I FIRST MET IN
KEY WEST IN 2009. IT'S THAT
WE LOVE IT, IT HURTS THE MORE
YOU TRY TO TAKE IT FROM US.
IT GETS HARDER FOR -- BY THE
DAY. Reporter: TODAY HIM AND
HIS SON GEORGE FEEL MORE
FINANCIALLY CORE -- SECURE THAN
THEY HAVE A LONG TIME. NOW WE
ARE GETTING 14-$20.
IT JUST DEPENDS ON THE FUTURE
AND LOBSTER IN. YOU COULD
MAKE A GOOD LIVING AND
FISHING. Reporter: BEFORE THE
CHINESE CAME IN LOBSTER
FISHERMAN COMPLAINED THAT THE
WORKING DISTRIBUTORS WERE
SETTING THE PRICES ARTIFICIALLY
LOW.
BACK THEN THE DEALERS MORE
OR LESS CONTROLLED THE PRICES
AND WHATNOT AND IT WAS HARDER
FOR THEM TO DO THAT BECAUSE OF
THE CHINESE. Reporter: LOCAL
LOBSTER BREYERS LIKE THIS MAN
SUGGESTED THERE WAS COLLUSION
AMONGST THE BUYERS TO HURT
FISHERMEN BY KEEPING THE
LOBSTER PRICES SO LOW. THE
WHOLE THING, TALKING TO EACH
OTHER TO SET THE PRICE, IT'S
GREATLY EXAGGERATED BY THE
FISHERMEN.
TO BE PERFECTLY HONEST WITH
YOU.
WHEN THE CHINESE CAME
ABSOLUTELY, THERE WAS MORE
COMPETITION, NOW YOU HAD A
WHOLE SET OF DIFFERENT
COMPANIES THAT WERE IN THE
MARKET BUYING LOBSTERS.
THEY PAID EXORBITANT PRICES.
22-$24 A POUND.
NOW THEY ARE PAYING EIGHT
DOLLARS PER POUND AND $12 PER
POUND.
Reporter: DO YOU THINK THEY
WORK TOGETHER LITTLE BIT OF
SETTING THE PRICE? LOOK, I
THINK THAT WHEN THEY THINK THEY
COULD MAKE MONEY, THEY WILL DO
THE SAME THING WE DID.
DON'T RAISE THE PRICE.
WHEN THINGS ARE BAD, THERE'S NO
MONEY TO BE MADE, THEY WILL BE
FRIENDLIER TO EACH OTHER SO TO
SPEAK.
I THINK ANYONE WOULD DO IT IN
THIS KIND OF BUSINESS.
Reporter: OTHERS WARN THERE'S
NO GUARANTEES THAT THE CHINESE
MARKET WILL REMAIN.
AFTER HITTING A HIGH, NEARLY 4
MILLION POUNDS IN 2013, THE
NUMBERS HAVE DROPPED IN RECENT
YEARS.
ONLY STARTING TO PICK UP AGAIN
IN 2017.
THE REASON FOR THE DROP?
A SLOWDOWN IN THE CHINESE
ECONOMY, THE DEVALUATION OF THE
HONG KONG DOLLAR.
IN THE PAST THE ONLY LOBSTER
MISSION -- THE ONLY LOBSTER
FISH AND THEY WERE CHECKING IN
WAS ONE CHANNEL NOW THEY ARE
TUNING INTO OTHER BUSINESS
NETWORKS. I NEVER DREAMED WE
WOULD BE OUT THERE IN THE BOATS
MONITORING WHAT THE STOCK
MARKET DID LAST NIGHT.
THAT'S UNBELIEVABLE TO ME THAT
THAT'S WHAT THIS FISHERMEN'S
COMPANY HAS COME TO BUT THAT'S
SURE WHAT IT HAS COME TO.
Reporter: THEN THERE IS THE
TRUMP FACTOR.
AS A CANDIDATE TRUMP REGULARLY
BLASTED CHINA, ACCUSING ITS
LEADERS OF TAKING ADVANTAGE OF
THE UNITED STATES. WE CAN'T
CONTINUE TO ALLOW CHINA TO RAPE
OUR COUNTRY, THAT'S WHAT THEY
ARE DOING.
IS THE GREATEST SAFT IN THE
HISTORY OF THE WORLD.
Reporter: THAT WAS -- NOW AS
PRESIDENT, HE HAS BEGUN TO ACT.
RECENTLY RAISING A 25 TARIFF ON
STEEL AT A 10 % TARIFF ON
ALUMINUM.
IMPORTED FROM CHINA AND OTHER
COUNTRIES. WE ARE GOING TO
INSTITUTE TARIFFS. Reporter:
IT SEEN AS THE FIRST OF WHAT
COULD BE A SERIES OF SHOTS AT
CHINA.
HE EVEN TWEETED " TRADE WARS
ARE GOOD AND EASY TO WIN.
" ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT A
POSSIBLE TRADE WAR BETWEEN THE
U.S. AND CHINA? WE ARE, YES
WE ARE. Reporter: WHAT WOULD
THE EFFECT OF THAT BE? CHINA
AS EVERY COUNTRY, WE DON'T
KNOW.
WE COULD SAY ONE DAY LOW, LOWER
THE QUARTER.
ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN.
Reporter: IF THIS WERE TO
HAPPEN, THE LOBSTER MEN IN THE
FLORIDA KEYS WOULD FIND
THEMSELVES ADRIFT ONCE AGAIN.
STRUGGLING TO SURVIVE AND
FACING AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE. I
HAVE NOT THOUGHT TOO MUCH ABOUT
FAILURE.
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