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) Although Germany’s tuna imports have declined, Vietnam’s tuna exports to the market continue to show positive signs. Notably, export value recovered strongly in Q3/2026, and German import data also show Vietnamese products strengthening their position amid competition among suppliers.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood exports are holding double-digit growth, but the opportunities are not spread evenly across product groups and markets. As businesses draw up their plans for 2027, Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS2026) offers a chance to look ahead together: what to sell, where to sell it, and how to prepare for growth in the coming years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) With less than two weeks to go, the Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026) will officially take place in Can Tho. Under the theme “Seafood Market Outlook 2027–2029 – Opportunities and Potential for Double-Digit Export Growth,” the Summit is organized by VASEP at a time when seafood businesses are facing rapid market shifts, changing buyer demand, trade policy changes and growing competitive pressure all at once.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On October 28, 2026, the China Fisheries & Seafood Expo opened in Qingdao, China. The expo takes place over three days from October 28 to 30, 2026. This is a prestigious specialized seafood exhibition organized annually by Sea Fare Exposition Inc.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first nine months of 2026, Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the CPTPP bloc reached $7 million, marking a 51% year-on-year increase. The bloc rstands as the fourth-largest market for Vietnamese tilapia, trailing Brazil, the US, and Saudi Arabia.
(vasep.com.vn) VASEP has officially announced the program for Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026), featuring five in-depth sessions covering industry outlooks, trade barriers, buyer demand, the domestic market, and solutions to improve productivity and reduce costs across the seafood value chain.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached US$3.7 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 11% year on year. Although growth has been supported by China and several markets within the CPTPP, momentum is slowing as exports to the United States and the European Union decline. Tariff pressures, international competition, and raw material challenges are creating significant hurdles for exporters in the final months of the year.
(vasep.com.vn) Markets are changing faster, buyer requirements are becoming more demanding, and trade barriers are growing increasingly complex. In this environment, seafood businesses need more than an understanding of current market conditions. They need a longer-term perspective to answer a critical question: Where will growth opportunities come from in 2027–2029, and what should businesses do now to prepare? This is one of the key reasons why VASEP is organizing Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East reached US$113 million, up 7% year on year from the same period in 2025. Growth has become more pronounced in recent months. In August alone, exports to the region totaled US$20 million, an increase of 24%. This indicates that demand for Vietnamese pangasius in the Middle East is gradually recovering after a slowdown in March, although the pace of recovery varies across markets.
(vasep.com.vn) China’s shrimp imports continued to grow strongly in 2026, while Vietnam’s shrimp exports to the market also recorded notable growth. However, behind these positive figures lie two distinct trends: Chinese consumption is growing more slowly than imports, and lobster accounts for a substantial share of Vietnam’s shrimp exports to China, making its product mix significantly different from those of Ecuador and India. Exporters therefore need to assess each segment carefully to understand the opportunities and risks.
VASEP - HIỆP HỘI CHẾ BIẾN VÀ XUẤT KHẨU THỦY SẢN VIỆT NAM
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