April 28, 2017

 

US congressmen, senators support shrimp antidumping duties

 

 

Several federal and state elected officials are batting for a five-year extension of the antidumping duties on unfairly traded shrimp imports from Brazil, China, India, Thailand and Vietnam. 

 

The US International Trade Commission is currently considering whether to maintain the antidumping duties or not. It has provisionally scheduled its final vote on the issue for Tuesday, May 2.

 

At a recent hearing held by the commission, three congressmen—Walter Jones of North Carolina, Steven Palazzo of Mississippi and Garret Graves of Louisiana--personally testified as to the importance of the shrimp industry to their districts and voiced their support for the trade remedy. 

 

The congressmen were joined by Louisiana Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, who described the importance of the commercial fishing industry to his state and appealed to the commission to maintain the antidumping duties.

 

The domestic shrimp industry contends that the return of unfairly traded imports into the US market would once again lead to a collapse in prices and, consequently, more fishermen leaving the commercial fishery. 

 

It added that a new flood of imports from the five countries would likely hollow out the remaining infrastructure of the industry and imperil the economies of small coastal communities from south Texas through North Carolina.

 

More support for antidumping duties

 

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant and Executive Director Jamie Miller of the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources also separately sent letters to the commission asking that the antidumping duties be maintained. 

 

Letters of support for the trade remedy have also been submitted by four additional US congressmen: Cedric Richmond Clay Higgins, both of Louisiana, Randy Weber of Texas Bradley Byrne of Alabama. 

 

In addition, a joint letter emphasizing the importance of the shrimp industry to the state of Alabama and requesting that the antidumping duties be continued was sent to the commission by Senators Richard Shelby and Luther Strange, both of Alabama. 

 

Letters in support of the US shrimp industry were also submitted by Senators Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker, both of Mississippi, and Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana.

 

"The support our industry has received by elected officials throughout the Gulf and South Atlantic coast has been extraordinary", said Executive Director John Williams of the Southern Shrimp Alliance.