(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The U.S. Department of Commerce released today the preliminary results of the 12th administrative review of the antidumping order on frozen warmwater shrimp from Vietnam. The calculated rate for the sole mandatory exporter, Sao Ta Seafoods Joint Stock Company (FIMEX VN), was announced as 25.39%. FIMEX VN, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), and all of its members are very concerned about this result and believe that it was issued in error.
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HCM City, 8th March, 2018
PRESS RELEASE
The U.S. Department of Commerce released today the preliminary results of the 12th administrative review of the antidumping order on frozen warmwater shrimp from Vietnam. The calculated rate for the sole mandatory exporter, Sao Ta Seafoods Joint Stock Company (FIMEX VN), was announced as 25.39%. Because FIMEX was the only mandatory respondent in the proceeding, its rate was also deemed to be the appropriate rate for all other companies that Commerce decided were independent of the Vietnamese Government. FIMEX VN, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), and all of its members are very concerned about this result and believe that it was issued in error.
For multiple years now, Vietnamese exporters have been examined during the administrative review process and none of them have received a dumping margin higher than a single-digit percentage rate. Indeed, FIMEX VN was examined in the 9thadministrative review and received a rate of 0%. “We are shocked by this result”, said Mr. Luc, FIMEX VN’s General Director. “We expected a rate of less than 2%, consistent with the result we received in the 9th review. Clearly, the Commerce Department made a mistake. Fortunately, this is only a preliminary decision, and we have the opportunity to show Commerce why this rate is obviously wrong.”
Indeed, careful analysis of the Commerce Department dumping margin program shows that they applied a conversion factor from headless to head-on shrimp incorrectly. If the conversion had been applied correctly, the margin would be only 1.19%.
FIMEX VN was scheduled to have a verification with U.S. Commerce Department officials in January, but the verification was postponed due to the U.S. Government shutdown. “We were ready for that verification, and I am sure we would have shown Commerce Officials why our rate was much lower”, said Mr. Luc. The verification has been rescheduled to July this year, and there will also be an opportunity to argue in briefs why the decision was made in error. VASEP and FIMEX VN are confident the rates announced today will be reduced in the final results expected to be issued in September. In the meantime, fortunately, the preliminary rate has no effect; it is only announced in order to allow the parties to argue why it is correct or not. No new rate will be imposed until the final results are issued./.