American Samoa Tuna

A state-owned firm from Washington is investing in a canned tuna factory in the US Samoa area. According to those responsible at Tri Marine International in Bellevue, the American Samoa product will bear the "Made in USA" mark. Three years ago, the firm took over the leasing of a state building after another canning factory was shut down.

The Tri Marine factory is scheduled to have about 1,500 employees when fully up and running by the Samoa Tuna Process of the Atu' u Sea Town. America's tuna fishing industries are key to its economies. "We are convinced of our investments in the canning factory project," said Renato Curto, Chief Executive Officer of Tri Marine.

"In the end, our choice to make this investments is based on our conviction that tuna is a good, nourishing foodstuff, that tuna resources can be farmed in a sustainable way in the long run and that island production is the right thing to do," he said. Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga said the regional government is firmly in its backing of Tri Marine, especially on this latest Investment boosting the local economy and providing more new jobs.

As Moliga said, the investments will enable the business "to stay ahead in this highly competetive worldwide sector. The new canning factory will also have an economical effect on domestic suppliers and the maritime industries, said Lewis Wolman, president of the Chamber of Commerce. This new canning factory will concentrate on the US where American Samoa tuna produce is duty-free, Curto said.

This will help compensate for higher manufacturing costs in comparison to Thailand, the Philippines and China. "We' re aimed at customers from trade and gastronomy who want to know where their tuna was captured, who captured it, how it was captured and where it was processed," says Curto.

It is planning to manufacture its own brands and tuna stores. It is produced by the Tri Marine daughter The Tuna Store and is already available under the name Ocean Naturals.