U.S. DOC Raises Anti-dumping Duty on Vietnam Shrimps

The U.S. Department of Commerce has decided to raise anti-dumping duties on shrimp imported from Vietnam as a result of its mandated five-year review of the duties on shipments from Feb 1, 2008 to Jan 31, 2009, said the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

 

Nha Trang Seafoods will have to bear the highest duty of 5.58%, up from 2.5% previously.

 

Common duty on shipments from other 29 Vietnamese firms, including Cadovimex (CAD) and Fimex VN (FMC), will be increased to 4.27% from 2.89%.

 

Only Minh Phu Corp. receives a tariff cut to 2.96% from 3.27%, the association said.

 

The Vietnam-wide entity rate will be 25.76%, much higher than the 5.34% imposed on Thai shrimp; 10.17% on India; and 7.05% on Brazil’s.

 

The DOC initiated the review in 2005 after domestic U.S. shrimp producers and processors complained suppliers from Vietnam were selling product at below market values, a practice called dumping.

 

Vietnam had requested the WTO to set up a dispute settlement panel to examine the U.S.’s “zeroing” method on calculating antidumping duties on Vietnamese shrimps. (Vasep.com.vn)