October 11, 2008

The US International Trade Committee (ITC) has voted for a five-year administrative review of its anti-dumping tariff levied on Vietnam's catfish products, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

The vote gave ITC authorisation to review all aspects of the tariff policy to determine if the lifting of the anti-dumping duties would cause further damage to the US catfish sector over certain timeframes.

Under the US Department of Commerce's (DOC) commitments to the WTO, the application of anti-dumping duties or any agreed delay would expire after five years of imposition unless the DOC and ITC find evidence of damage to the domestic US market due to repeated dumping or subsidisation of products.

ITC has asked interested parties to contribute feedback to help them consider any effects that may emerge if the policy is lifted. Feedback is usually considered within 95 days from the day the review process is begun, in order to determine if the information received is sufficient to launch a comprehensive administrative review.