March 31, 2004

Indonesian Shrimp Prices Up 16% In US Market

The price of Indonesian shrimp of Black Tiger rose 16 per cent in the U.S. market following the imposition of surcharge on imports from six other major suppliers in that country.

Soempeno Putra, the director general for the promotion of institutional capacity and marketing, said the price of black tiger rose to US$11.6 per kg from US$10 in February in the U.S. market.

Demand for Indonesian shrimp rose after the U.S. government imposed a high import duty of 40 per cent on imports from China, Thailand, Ecuador, India, Vietnam and Brazil, which have been the main suppliers of shrimp to the U.S. market.

A surcharge was imposed on alleged dumping by the six countries, while the import duty on Indonesian shrimp is only 8 per cent.

Indonesia has been a minor supplier of shrimp so far to the United States.