(vasep.com.vn) US shrimpers are using countervailing duty as an unfair competitive tool to block farmed shrimps from Vietnam and other six countries imported to the country. In case they get their expectation of the duty, American consumers will eat shrimp with the higher price.
On 28th December 2012, U.S. shrimp producers filed a petition to Department of Commerce to apply punitive duties to warmwater shrimp imported from seven countries including Vietnam. This will not only hurt U.S. talks with Vietnam and Malaysia on free trade, but hurt American consumers due to lack of competition.
- Countervailing duty is used as an unfair competitive tool by U.S. shrimp producers to block Vietnamese shrimps so American consumers are only left with more expensive shrimps, says Truong Dinh Hoe, General Secretary of Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).
American consumers prefer imported shrimps. 90 percent of the consumed shrimps in U.S. is supplied and depended on import.
In the petition, U.S. shrimp producers made a limping comparison between farmed shrimps and those caught at sea. Different production conditions of these shrimps leading to price differentials are easily explained. Wild shrimp can not be compared with farmed shrimp because they are not identical products.
- The U.S. shrimp producers should engage more actively in the competition. They have an advantage of ‘Made in USA’ on the U.S. market. Instead of trying to block the competition they should be better to play on their advantages and simply be better in production, says Hoe.
The quality of farmed shrimp produced by Vietnam has improved remarkably and consumed more and more in luxurious markets. Vietnam shrimp products are exported to more than 92 countries and territories and the consumer markets are increasing.
For further details, please contact:
VASEP
Tel: +84 8 62810432
Email: vasephcmcity@vasep.com.vn