NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 6 -- The U.S. International Trade Commission on Thursday cleared the way for tariffs to be imposed on shrimp imports from six Asian and South American nations but expressed concern that tariffs on India and Thailand would burden the tsunami-ravaged countries.
The commission upheld last February's preliminary finding that imports had injured, or were likely to injure, U.S. shrimp processors and fishermen. The panel reaffirmed with a 6 to 0 vote that frozen shrimp have injured the U.S. industry, but voted 4 to 2 to scrap tariffs on canned imports, which make up about 0.4 percent of imports.
A vendor holds shrimp at a Hanoi market. The United States may impose tariffs on shrimp from Vietnam, India, Thailand, China, Brazil, Ecuador.
(Kham -- Reuters)
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The ruling was the last major step before tariffs on imports from Brazil, China, Ecuador, India, Thailand and Vietnam become final.
"Overall, the case is done. The vast majority of the decisions, final. It is a great weight off of the shoulders of shrimpers," said Deborah Long, a spokeswoman for the Southern Shrimp Alliance, an eight-state group of shrimp processors and fishermen that organized the anti-dumping petition.
She said there are only a few minor questions that still need to be resolved.
While upholding its decision on frozen shrimp, the commission left open the possibility of revoking tariffs on India and Thailand. The commission will review how badly the shrimp industries there have been damaged and decide whether the tariffs should be lifted.
"The shrimp industry in these countries is the economic engine, in particular for Thailand. And do you want to place tariffs on one of the most important exports of these countries after they've been hit with this economic devastation?" said Paul Nathanson, a spokesman for a group of importers opposing tariffs.
"It is the absolutely worst time to be placing more taxes on the shrimp industry. Together with the tsunami, there are real questions of the viability of the Thai shrimp industry," said Brian Wynn, president and chief executive of Los Angeles-based Rubicon Resources, a major importer of Thai shrimp.
Long disagreed. "While the tsunami has had devastating effects on human life, the shrimp infrastructure is relatively sound and we don't think it will change the legal case before the ITC."
