The US Department of Commerce is processing a complaint regarding Vietnamese shrimp products.
On January 18th, the US Department of Commerce officially accepted a complaint filed by several US businesses alleging dumping of shrimp imported from Vietnam and six other countries.
Harvesting whiteleg shrimp from a specialized shrimp farm on sandy soil in Duc Minh commune, Mo Duc district, Quang Ngai province. (Photo: Thanh Long/TTXVN)
Accordingly, the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) also held a public discussion session attended by U.S. businesses and representatives from seven countries whose shrimp products were subject to the lawsuit.
According to the Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Washington, American companies such as Carson & Co. Inc, Tidelands Seafood Co. Inc, and Gulf Fish Inc. have filed a lawsuit arguing that frozen warmwater shrimp imported into the US from seven countries – Vietnam, China, India, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Ecuador – that are subsidized by the government, have "seriously harmed" the US shrimp industry.
According to these companies, due to their inability to compete on price, in the short period from September 2011 to September 2012, shrimp production in the US decreased by 0.1%, production capacity decreased by 3.8%, shrimp catches decreased by 9.5%, the number of workers decreased by 2.2%, total profits decreased by 8.6%, and production income decreased by 247.8%.
US businesses allege that the seven aforementioned countries received government subsidies totaling $4.2 billion in 2011. Specifically, Thailand provided the highest level of subsidies for shrimp exports to the US, amounting to $1.6 billion. This was followed by Indonesia ($667 million), Ecuador ($524 million), India ($512 million), Vietnam ($493 million), Malaysia ($206 million), and China ($154 million).
Representatives from seven countries argued that the accusation of receiving government subsidies to lower shrimp export prices to the US was unfounded. The shrimp industries of these seven countries, including Vietnam, simply benefit from favorable natural conditions, standardized farming and processing procedures, and especially from cheap labor. The anti-dumping lawsuit, in reality, is merely an attempt to protect the US shrimp industry and directly impacts the interests of American consumers.
Earlier, on January 15, representatives of the Vietnamese Trade Office in Washington met with the US Department of Commerce to protest allegations that frozen warmwater shrimp exported from Vietnam to the US were subsidized.
The U.S. Department of Commerce will base its investigation on the preliminary findings of the U.S. International Trade Commission, expected to be released before February 11, and a preliminary decision may be issued in March, with a final conclusion expected in July.
According to (VNA) - LT
