July 14, 2004

Iranian Shrimp Exporters Eyeing US Market

An Iranian official said Monday that US laws to levy tariffs on shrimp imports provides a suitable opportunity for Iranian exporters.

Managing Director of Union of Cooperatives for Shrimp Production and Exports, Arsalan Qassemi, stated that the US International Trade Commission (ITC) has been assigned the task of levying 115 percent tariffs on shrimp imports from Brazil, China, Ecuador, India, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The US has taken this measure following "dumping" activities by the said countries, notably China and Vietnam with the aim of supporting local shrimp producers.

According to Qassemi, the US was the largest market for Iranian shrimps exports before the Islamic revolution in 1979. Although the shrimp exports of were banned for several years, they were resumed in recent years, Qassemi noted.

He said Iranian shrimp is of fine quality and has a good chance of gaining a foothold in the US market if its marketing is planned right. "If import tariffs by the US are enforced, then China and Vietnam may divert their shrimp exports to the EU market where Iranian shrimps are offered at rock-bottom prices," Qassemi conveyed.

Official estimates forecast the local shrimp output to rise by 70 to 80 percent to about 13,000 tons in the current Iranian year (started March 20) from 7,500 tons last year.

Managing Director of Iran Fisheries Organization said last month that the value of fisheries exports amounted to $74 million last year.