June 29, 2006

US selects Vietnamese exporters for anti-dumping tariffs review

The US Department of Commerce (DOC) has chosen three Vietnamese shrimp exporters at random for a review of anti-dumping tariffs against them, Vietnam's fisheries ministry said.

The DOC would send a team to check documents at the company and the company would also have to fill in a questionnaire.

The DOC would consider Vietnamese exporters' prices in the last one year to compare with the prices when they first exported shrimp to the US.

Based on the survey results, the anti-dumping duty could be scrapped if the DOC finds that no dumping was involved.

The DOC would also determine average tariffs on other Vietnamese companies exporting shrimp to the US.

Only 54 out of total 84 Vietnamese shrimp exporters who have sent shipments to the US as June 1, requested DOC to reconsider the anti-dumping tariffs against them.

High anti-dumping tariffs did not stop Asian countries from ranking among the top 10 suppliers of shrimp to the US market last year, although some exporters did exit the US market and others are looking to diversify into EU markets.

Shrimp accounted for more than half of Vietnam's US$2.65 billion revenues from seafood export in 2005.