July 20, 2006

US catfish industry applauds efforts to punish illegal importers

Catfish farmers in the US are applauding the efforts of the US customs agents who are cracking down on illegal imports of Vietnamese catfish.

US customs agents charged an illegal importer with over 40 offences for illegally importing basa catfish from Vietnam. If found guilty, the importer could be facing a US$500,000 fine.

Seymour Johnson, a catfish farmer in Mississippi and member of The Catfish Institute (TCI), said the latest charges represent an increased, aggressive effort by the government to enforce the trade tariff with Vietnam.

The fact that the offender was apprehended in Belgium shows how far agents are willing to go to enforce the law, Johnson said.

Still, the increased enforcement stems in part from TCI's lobbying of the government to help protect the US catfish industry.

The US catfish industry collected and distributed US$5.47 million in tariff fees last year and Johnson expects the figure may reach US$10 million annually after two years.

Current export rules with Vietnam were made possible after TCI forked out millions of dollars to lobby US trade officials, Johnson said.

Johnson said that as the United States begins to better tackle the challenges of enforcing international trade pacts in the future, the blatant violations taking place today would lessen. However, the crimes would become more subtle and sophisticated, he cautioned.