US lowers anti-dumping tariffs on 29 Vietnam shrimp exporters

The US Department of Commerce (DOC) has decided to reduce anti-dumping tariffs on 29 Vietnamese shrimp exporters to 2.5% from 4.27% on average, according to reports.

According to the DOC's preliminary result of the 4th administrative review on Vietnamese shrimp exported to the US from February 1, 2008 to January 31, 2009, 29 Vietnamese companies will enjoy a tax cut to 2.89%.

Minh Phu Seafood Corporation, which had tax exemption in the third review, will be imposed the highest one at 3.27%, while Nha Trang Seafoods will be taxed the least at 2.5%, said Truong Dinh Hoe, general secretary of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP). Other Vietnamese shrimp exporters will be imposed 25.76% tax.

Hoe said that currently Vietnamese companies exporting shrimp to the US have not yet been levied until the DOC gives the final decision 90 days after the 4th administrative review's result was announced.

Peter John Koeng, a member of the Administrative Conference Advisory Group to the US Congress cum member of Squire Sanders, a US law firm said that Vietnam has few opportunities in wining the US because the US used to win at the final review in general.

''The DOC will likely continue imposing anti-dumping tariff on Vietnamese frozen shrimp. To force the DOC to remove the tariff, Vietnam should prove that the removal does not affect prices in the US and Vietnam exports its shrimp to many countries worldwide, not only to the US,'' the lawyer said.

Vietnam officials will meet with the US counterparts at the World Trade Organization's (WTO) headquarter in Geneva on March 23 on its shrimp anti-dumping dispute.