(vasep.com.vn) Shrimp farmers and producers in the Mekong Delta are dissatisfying with the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC)’s decision to impose anti-subsidy duty on frozen warmwater shrimp imported from Vietnam, alleging that Vietnam shrimp sector is receiving aid from the State. The decision will take a heavy toll on 600,000 shrimp farmers and workers across the country.
Vietnam shrimp processors and exporters are operating under market mechanisms, and have never received any government’s subsidy or any other kinds of subsidies. The measure taken by the DOC puts a huge impact on shrimp farmers’ benefit, the General Director of Cafatex Company said.
The duty levied by the U.S. adversely affects shrimp farmers while they are facing a lot of difficulties such as climate change, environment degradation, the president of My Thanh Shrimp Association in Soc Trang province said.
The Mekong Delta is a key shrimp farming region of Vietnam with over 600,000 hectares, fetching output of over 350,000 MT. The region counts for 90 percent of the country’s total shrimp farming area and 75 percent of total shrimp output. Shrimp in the locality is cultivated on the industrial scale, meeting international standards. Local farmers largely breed black tiger shrimp thanks to its high profit. Shrimp farming creates jobs for local farmers, eradicates hunger and alleviates poverty, fetches local people high profit.
Therefore, it is obviously unfair for Vietnam shrimp exporters to be imposed two kinds of duties on the same product (anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties). Although the duties rate imposed on Vietnam defendants were lower than those stated in DOC’s preliminary determination and lower than other nations involved in the lawsuit, DOC’s decision is nonsensical.
DOC’s determination not only creates a huge blow to Vietnam shrimp producers, especially in the Mekong Delta, but it also puts a dent to shrimp importers and consumers in the U.S.