March 20, 2007

US Court of International Trade agrees to hear India's shrimp anti-dumping case

The US Court of International Trade (CIT) has agreed to hear India's complaints on the antidumping duties imposed by the US on its shrimp exporters.

The move meant a significant victory for Indian shrimp exporters, India's Financial Express reported.

The move would also allow India to petition against customs bonds, which it had challenged at the WTO level. India is expecting a decision of the organisation's panel in the matter soon.

AJ Tharakan, national president of the Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI) which had filed the case against the bonds before the CIT, said that the decision to hear SEAI's case was a major victory for India, which had been arguing that the bonds were against international trade practices.

To curb the damage wrought on the US shrimp industry by Indian exporters, The US Bureau of Customs Border Protection (CBP) had issued directives for collection of bonds matching the duty as security.

India argued that the CBP lacked statutory authority to require bonds as security as payment of anti-dumping duty was already secured by cash deposits.

However, US Customs had said that the exporters did not demonstrate that they were adversely affected by an agency action.