August 6, 2010

 

US raises anti-dumping duty on Vietnam shrimps

 

 

Following its mandated five-year review of the duties on shipments from February 1, 2008-January 31, 2009, the US Department of Commerce (DOC) has decided to raise anti-dumping duties on shrimp imported from Vietnam, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

 

Nha Trang Seafoods will have to bear the highest duty of 5.58%, up from 2.5% previously.

 

Common duty on shipments from other 29 Vietnamese firms, including Cadovimex (CAD) and Fimex VN (FMC), will be increased to 4.27% from 2.89%.

 

Only Minh Phu Corp. receives a tariff cut to 2.96% from 3.27%, the association said.

 

The Vietnam-wide entity rate will be 25.76%, much higher than the 5.34% imposed on Thai shrimp; 10.17% on India; and 7.05% on Brazil's.

 

The DOC initiated the review in 2005 after domestic US shrimp producers and processors complained suppliers from Vietnam were selling product at below market values, a practice called dumping.

 

Vietnam had requested the WTO to set up a dispute settlement panel to examine the US "zeroing" method on calculating antidumping duties on Vietnamese shrimps.