The U.S. International Trade Commission is currently considering whether to maintain antidumping duties on unfairly-traded shrimp imports from Brazil, China, India, Thailand and Vietnam for another five years. If the Commission determines that dumped imports are likely to cause or continue material injury to the U.S. shrimp industry in the event of the removal of duties, the trade remedy will remain in effect.
In written arguments and testimony, the domestic shrimp industry contends that the return of unfairly-traded imports into the U.S. market would once again lead to a collapse in prices and, in result, even more fishermen leaving the commercial fishery. A new flood of imports from the five countries would likely hollow out the remaining infrastructure of the industry and imperil the economies of small coastal communities from south Texas through North Carolina.
The shrimp industry’s arguments have been strongly supported by both state and federal elected officials. At a hearing held by the Commission on March 16, 2017, three U.S. Congressmen – Walter Jones (R-NC), Steven Palazzo (R-MS), and Garret Graves (R-LA) – testified in person as to the importance of the shrimp industry to their districts and voiced their support for the trade remedy. These Congressmen were joined at the hearing by the Lt. Governor of Louisiana, Billy Nungesser (R-LA). Lt. Governor Nungesser described the importance of the commercial fishing industry to the state of Louisiana and appealed to the Commission to maintain the antidumping duties.
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