US slashes shrimp duty rates after first review

The US Department of Commerce (DoC) has announced the final rates of shrimp anti-dumping duties, according to its first administrative review, which covers the period from August 4, 2004, to January 31, 2006.

The new rates range from nil to 226.62 per cent, according to the Federal Register of USA. The DoC is in the midst of conducting the second administrative review for which the mandatory respondents have already been selected, with the final result of the review being expected by 2008. There will be five such reviews, it is learnt.

For India, the weighted average duty has been slashed to 7.22 per cent from 10.54 per cent. Fifteen firms will get AFA rate of 82.30 per cent.

Last month, the DoC rescinded the anti-dumping duties for Ecuador, which spared their shrimp producers from paying duty for shipments after August 15, 2007. But, amounts owed before that remained unaffected by that decision.

In the case of Ecuador, the DoC had set a rate of 3.69 per cent for a company called Ocean Invest and 0 per cent for Promarisco because its margins fell below 2 per cent. About 19 other companies were assessed during the review and the weighted national average duty will be 3.69 per cent. The maximum duty applicable to 2 companies from Ecuador will be 35 per cent.

In the preliminary findings of the review, the rates applicable to 11 companies from Brazil had increased from 7.05 per cent to anywhere between 23.11 per cent and 349 percent. In the final announcement, the new rates applicable are in the range of 4.62-15.41 per cent only.

The national average rate for Brazil is 6.96 per cent, while two companies with Adverse Facts Available (AFA) duty rates "" SM Pescados Industria Comercio Exportacao and Valenca da Bahia Maricultura SA "" had their preliminary rate of 349 per cent reduced to 67.80 per cent.

Five China-based companies selected for the review will have rates in the range of 0-226.62 per cent, while the countrywide average will remain at 112.81 per cent. For three companies "" Allied Pacific Aquatic Products, Allied Pacific (H.K.) Co; and Zhanjiang Evergreen Aquatic Product Science and Technology "" the rates have been cut to 53.68 per cent according to the DoC announcement.

Six Thailand-based companies that didn't cooperate with the DoC for the review, saw their rates increased from 5.95 per cent to 57.64 per cent, 14 had their rates cut to 4.31 per cent.

The countrywide rate for Vietnam remains 25.76 per cent. Four companies will be eligible for 4.57 per cent, while companies such as Fish One and Grobest will have the advantage of 0 per cent duty. India is challenging the customs bond for shrimp export to USA in the World Trade Organization, which ruled in Ecuador's favour in its earlier decision.