The US Department of Commerce (DoC) announced it has increased anti-dumping tariffs on Vietnamese shrimps exported to the US. The final results of the fourth administrative review run from 1 February 2008-31 January 2009 modified the tariffs in effect since 2004.

Final results showed that just one Vietnamese shrimp exporter will benefit from tax reduction and the rest of the companies will have to pay higher duties compared to the preliminary results announced last March.

While one of the two compulsory defendants in the anti-dumping lawsuit, the Minh Phu Seafood Company, will pay a lower duty -- from 3.27 per cent to 2.96 per cent -- the second defendant, the Nha Trang Seafood Joint Stock Company, will see its tariff raised from 2.5 per cent to 5.58 per cent, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) said.

Anti-dumping duties for 29 companies that are not compulsory defendants and which export shrimp products will be increased from 2.89 per cent to 4.27 per cent, and those imposed on firms out of the review will stay at 25.76 per cent, reports VOVNews/VNA.

Vietnamese exporters have to pay higher duties than do Indian firms. While the rate for Vietnamese companies is 5.58 per cent, the highest duty imposed on an Indian company is 4.44 per cent, and other Indian companies pay just 2.67 percent.

Last April, Vietnam requested that the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Dispute Settlement Body establish a panel to review US anti-dumping measures imposed on Vietnamese frozen warm water shrimp.

Vietnam believes that through the US’s employment of "zeroing," the latter has not made a fair comparison between the export price and the normal value, and thus came up with distorted dumping margins.

WTO General Director Pascal Lamy recently appointed three members to the panel. The panel board should be making its final report on the lawsuit for concerned parties after six months.

This is Vietnam’s first time launching a trade lawsuit against a WTO member since it joined the organisation in January 2007.

Related articles:

- WTO to rule on first complaint brought by Vietnam
- WTO sought for help on US anti-dumping duties
- Shrimp exporters cleared of dumping duties

By Natalia Real
[email protected]
www.seafood.media