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) On the afternoon of March 19, Vice Chairman of the Ca Mau Provincial People’s Committee, Le Van Su, chaired a meeting to address bottlenecks and propose solutions to expand the super-intensive whiteleg shrimp farming model using low water exchange and high biosecurity standards (RAS-IMTA).
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On March 10, 2026, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee issued Decision No. 1377/QD-UBND approving the Aquatic Animal Disease Prevention and Control Plan for the 2026–2030 period. The decision takes effect from the date of signing and replaces previous plans for the 2021–2030 period that had been issued prior to the administrative merger in Ba Ria – Vung Tau, Binh Duong, and Ho Chi Minh City.
(vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Chile imported more than USD 156 million worth of tuna, up 8.1% compared to the previous year and the highest level in the past five years. As the supply structure in this market is rapidly shifting, Vietnamese tuna is facing both opportunities to expand market share and increasing competitive pressure from Thailand, Colombia, and China.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vinh Long Province is stepping up efforts to develop brackish water shrimp farming in a sustainable direction, identifying it as a key sector in its agricultural structure. In 2026, the province aims to reach around 71,300 hectares of shrimp farming, with an output of over 314,000 tons.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Ha Tinh Province is strengthening control over shrimp seed quality to minimize risks for the 2026 spring–summer farming season.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In February 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports reached USD 119 million, down slightly 5% year-on-year. However, thanks to strong performance in January, cumulative exports in the first two months of the year still reached USD 331 million, up 28% compared to the same period in 2025. Export activity slowed somewhat in February due to seasonal factors, particularly the Lunar New Year holiday, which disrupted production and shipments at many seafood processing enterprises.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Da Nang is accelerating the development of high-tech shrimp farming toward intensive production, disease control, and improved efficiency. Many shrimp farms have invested in automated environmental monitoring systems, continuously tracking indicators such as pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and salinity, enabling farmers to promptly adjust pond conditions and reduce disease risks.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The year 2025 is considered a turning point for Vietnam’s shrimp seed industry as the sector faces the need for strong transformation in technology, production management, and gradual self-sufficiency in broodstock supply. These factors are seen as key to improving seed quality and strengthening the competitiveness of the shrimp industry amid increasingly demanding market requirements.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In February 2026, Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached nearly USD 310 million, up 17% year-on-year. Cumulatively for the first two months of the year, shrimp export value totaled USD 690 million, an increase of 20% compared with the same period last year. Compared with the 22% growth recorded in January, the pace of increase in February slowed somewhat, reflecting seasonal factors as the Lunar New Year holiday partially disrupted processing and shipment activities. Nevertheless, the nearly 20% growth in the first two months indicates that shrimp orders from Vietnam are maintaining a more positive trend than in the same period last year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to the latest statistics for January 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius export value to major market blocs recorded encouraging growth compared with the same period last year, indicating that consumption demand is gradually recovering.
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