These companies, virtually all of whom are members of the American Shrimp Processors Association, have received over $111 million in Byrd Amendment payments from the
What is striking is that in their filing, they claim that the total gross profit for the industry for the last three years has averaged around 38 million per year - or 114 million total. The Byrd payouts have been equal to virtually the entire profits of the industry over the past three years.
Furthermore, they allege that due to the injury from lower priced imported shrimp, they have lost money in 2012.
The relevant table from their filing is below.
Page 1-45 in COGSI petition filed with Dept. of Commerce. Jump in Admin expenses highlighted in red
Through the 3rd quarter of 2012, they claim the industry's gross operating income is -7.5 million. But what jumped out at me was the staggering $10 million increase in the 'selling general and admin expense' line just above. The entire projected loss was due to a 40% jump in sales and admin, according to their filing.
Industry scuttlebutt, which has not been confirmed by any individual company, is that the members of the coalition were being asked to pay $200 to 300K to support the countervailing duty suit. It is uncannily coincidental that the jump in admin expenses of $10 million is so close to the amount raised if 30 companies had each put in $300 K - i.e. that would be a $9 million jump in admin expenses.
Now there is nothing factual here - there is no indication as to how the funds were raised, and what proportion has been paid into a legal account. But the $10 million jump in admin expense, coupled with a $7.5 million claimed loss, is a red flag.
Without that jump in administrative expense, the industry would have been profitable through the 3rd quarter of 2012, compared to the 3rd quarter (cumulative) of 2011.
The entire argument is one of injury - that the domestic shrimp processors lost money in 2012 because of a fall in shrimp prices caused by decline in the price of imported shrimp. Yet, the proximate cause was an unexplained jump in administrative expenses of $10 million, or 40% year over year.
Increases in administrative expenses are not due to the actions of foreign exporters - regardless of the merits of an argument over subsidies.
The argument for injury would be much stronger if the other factors such as administrative and sales expenses had remained more constant and consistent, as they had during the three prior years.
We address these issues in our video, and suggest that there is a better course the industry could have followed, such as putting a fraction of the $111 million they received from the government into marketing their products and raising the value, and distinctiveness of domestic shrimp.
Farmed shrimp is here to stay. It will always supply 80% to 90% of the
There are many similarities to the situation faced by the Alaskan salmon industry in the early 1990's. The explosion of farmed salmon totally turned their market upside down. They did not go to the government for a handout, but spent money marketing their product and establishing a differentiation between wild and farmed salmon.
Today despite low farmed salmon prices, canned Alaskan salmon is trading at some of the highest prices ever, and wild salmon at retail consistently gets a large premium over farmed salmon.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The year 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the United States (1995–2025). In parallel with the nation's progress in international economic integration, bilateral seafood trade has followed a remarkably impressive growth trajectory, expanding from an initial scale of just tens of millions of US dollars to nearly $2 billion annually. This growth has positioned the United States as Vietnam’s largest seafood export market for many consecutive years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On December 12, 2025, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Processing and Export (VASEP) issued document 231/CV-VASEP regarding strengthening measures to combat IUU fishing and working with the Government to lift the EC's IUU yellow card warning.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Tilapia is easy to farm and provides high economic and nutritional value, making it a sought-after export commodity in many countries.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports in the first 10 months of 2025 recorded significant progress, reaching more than USD 9.5 billion, up 15% year-on-year. This result reflects the sector’s persistent efforts amid a highly volatile market, especially policy shocks from the US Although signs of slowdown emerged in the third quarter due to countervailing taxes, key product groups still maintained strong momentum and created a foundation for full-year exports to reach USD 11 billion.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s agreement with the United States on a framework for reciprocal, fair, and balanced trade—reached during the 2025 ASEAN Summit in Malaysia—has generated strong optimism for Vietnamese exports, including tuna. Numerous positive points in the joint statement have raised high expectations for Vietnamese export goods, but turning these expectations into tangible benefits remains a long and challenging journey.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) At the conference on “Linking the Production and Consumption Chain of Ca Mau Crab 2025,” Vice Chairman of the Ca Mau Provincial People’s Committee Lê Văn Sử posed a central question: how to shift the province’s crab exports toward official trade channels, instead of relying heavily on small-scale border trade with China as currently practiced.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The whitefish market in Japan is showing a clear divergence among supplying countries, in which Vietnam continues to affirm its role as a stable and high-potential exporter. Vietnam currently ranks third after the US and Russia in whitefish export value to Japan. Thanks to tariff incentives and the ability to meet Japan’s strict standards, Vietnamese pangasius continues to record a stable and positive growth trend.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The People's Committee of Ca Mau Province has just issued a plan to expand the super-intensive, low-water-exchange, biosecure white-leg shrimp farming model (RAS-IMTA) for whiteleg shrimp farming to a scale of 1,500 hectares, aiming to develop high-tech, sustainable and environmentally friendly shrimp farming.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Sa Giang Import-Export Joint Stock Company (HNX: SGC) plans to issue over 7.1 million shares to raise nearly 465 Billion VND for Hoan Ngoc M&A Deal.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to Rabobank, global tilapia production is forecast to exceed 7 million tons in 2025, driven by a strong recovery in major producing countries including China, Indonesia, Egypt, Bangladesh and Vietnam. Among them, Vietnam is emerging as a potential tilapia supplier in the global supply chain, capitalizing on market fluctuations to expand production and exports.
VASEP - HIỆP HỘI CHẾ BIẾN VÀ XUẤT KHẨU THỦY SẢN VIỆT NAM
Chịu trách nhiệm: Ông Nguyễn Hoài Nam - Phó Tổng thư ký Hiệp hội
Đơn vị vận hành trang tin điện tử: Trung tâm VASEP.PRO
Trưởng Ban Biên tập: Bà Phùng Thị Kim Thu
Giấy phép hoạt động Trang thông tin điện tử tổng hợp số 138/GP-TTĐT, ngày 01/10/2013 của Bộ Thông tin và Truyền thông
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 – (ext.203); email: kimthu@vasep.com.vn
Trụ sở: Số 7 đường Nguyễn Quý Cảnh, Phường An Phú, Quận 2, Tp.Hồ Chí Minh
Tel: (+84) 28.628.10430 - Fax: (+84) 28.628.10437 - Email: vasephcm@vasep.com.vn
VPĐD: số 10, Nguyễn Công Hoan, Ngọc Khánh, Ba Đình, Hà Nội
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 - Fax: (+84 24) 37715084 - Email: vasephn@vasep.com.vn