US body calls for stiff shrimp import norms

Southern Shrimp Alliance (SSA), an organisation of shrimp farmers based in the US, has sought more stringent quality norms for shrimp imported from India, China, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. The SSA move has sent the Indian shrimp exporting community in a tizzy.

India's shrimp exports were worth about Rs 4,000 crore in the last financial year, accounting for 72 per cent of the total annual marine exports of Rs 7,400 crore. The US market accounts for more than 65 per cent of the Indian shrimp exports.

SSA has started lobbying with the US Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) to bring in stringent quality measures on shrimp imports.

A US web portal has reported that huge funds - more than the annual budget of the US National Fisheries Institute - collected by SSA are being utilised for hectic lobbying.

The more stringent quality measures mean a tougher US market for countries like India. The move of SSA assumes importance with the final verdict on the 4anti-dumping duty imposed on India, China and Vietnam expected by the end of next month.

Indian exporters are expecting a lenient verdict from the US commerce department. But, SSA's campaign has put the exporting community in a tight spot.

A marine products exporter opined that a more lenient verdict was expected from the US commerce department in the anti-dumping case. If SSA succeeds in its campaign, it would hit the Indian shrimp exports, he added.

The US FDA now performs antibiotic tests on 2 per cent of the shrimp imports. SSA's efforts to get a larger quantity of shrimp imports tested will make exports to the USA tougher, said experts here.

Most of the shrimp export houses had spent over Rs 400 crore for modernising their factories after stringent measures imposed by the European Union.