September 25, 2007

 

US releases new anti-dumping tariffs on Vietnamese seafood

 

 

The United States Department of Commerce (DoC) will apply anti-dumping tariffs on a retroactive basis for Vietnamese tra and basa catfish shipped between August 1, 2004  to July 31, 2006.

 

The decision was based on DoC's allegations that Vietnamese manufacturers dumped tra and basa catfish into the US market in 2004. The ruling was issued after the third administrative review with a final report expected within 120 days, said the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

 

The average tax is set at 63.88 percent, but companies may receive tariffs above or below this level as determined by the DoC.

 

For example, East Sea Seafoods JVC will enjoy a zero tax given it did not participate in the 2005-2006 dumping case.

 

In contrast, Can Tho Agriculture and Animal Products Import Export Co (CATACO) has received an 80.88 percent tax, because the company failed to meet requirements set by US authorities during the investigation.

 

The DoC also temporarily withdrew previous decisions and waived taxes on nine companies that did not export goods to the US from August 2005 to July 2006.

 

In a related development, the DoC earlier this week decided to waive tariffs on Viet Hai and Grobest, while maintaining taxes on six other shrimp exporters.

 

The decision came after the DoC's first administrative review on Vietnamese shrimp exports.

 

According to VASEP Secretary General Truong Dinh Hoe, Grobest was a new volunteer defendant, while Viet Hai was listed among the compulsory defendants with an initial tariff of 4.57 per cent. The average tax on the six other companies is 25.76 per cent.

 

The case stems from anti-dumping allegations from August 2003 to January 2006.

 

The US department also reviewed shrimp exports from China, Thailand and Brazil. Chinese manufactures have seen tariffs range from 0.44 to 112.81 percent, while Thai companies bear penalties in the 2.58 to 57.64 percent range.

 

At the end of 2004, about 54 Vietnamese companies were assigned anti-dumping taxes at 4.3 to 25.76 per cent.

 

In April 2006, the DoC said it would review taxes on Vietnam and five other countries, though the issue remains a heated point of debate.

 

India and Thailand have launched legal proceedings against the US with the World Trade Organisation (WTO), while Ecuador has already won its anti-dumping suit.

 

Last year, the WTO said that the "zeroing" method applied by the US to calculate anti-dumping taxes was illegal.

 

Hoe said the fact two Vietnamese companies have received a zero tax from US officials proves local manufacturers were not dumping shrimp into the United States.