November 22, 2006

 

US catfish farmers increasingly disgruntled with Vietnamese imports

 

 

US catfish farmers are increasingly incensed by the cheaper Asian catfish flooding the American market.

 

Meeting recently in Atlanta in a conference to promote American catfish, companies voiced their frustration over how Chinese and Vietnamese farmers have become a stronger presence in the market.

 

Figures from the federal government show that processed American catfish will drop 15 percent from that 3 years ago, while that of foreign catfish would fill the gap.

 

Vietnamese catfish shipped to the US have doubled over the last year, while those from China have almost tripled, according to the National Marine Fisheries Service.

 

The situation is likely to worsen if the US permanently normalises ties with Vietnam, a likely possibility as President Bush visited the region this week.

 

Vietnam's entry into the WTO would open up export opportunities for Vietnamese companies, but at the same time allow foreign companies to enter its market.

 

Calls are being made from groups such as The Catfish Institute for legislation that would ensure that foreign catfish meet the same standards as the domestic ones.

 

While Asian seafood imports are growing rapidly, federal inspections and testing of this food remains inadequate, the institute said.

 

Unfair trade complaints in 2003 led to antidumping restrictions that cut in half the number of basa and tra imports. The same year, Congress passed a law preventing the Vietnamese basa from being labeled "catfish."

 

Federal laws were passed requiring catfish products to declare their country-of-origin.