Lawmakers in the U.S. state of Louisiana have asked the U.S. International Trade Commission to extend antidumping duties on imported warmwater shrimp, suggesting that a failure to do so would be devastating to domestic shrimp producers.
In letters sent separately to the commission, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy and U.S. Representative Garret Graves, both Republicans, asked the government to continue imposing duties on shrimp imported from China, India, Thailand, and Vietnam, which were first put in place in 2005. Both lawmakers argue that subsidized shrimp exports from those countries will drive U.S. shrimp producers out of business.
“Unfortunately, the domestic shrimp industry remains fragile,” Cassidy said in the letter. “Shrimp imports from these four countries remain significant and continue to undercut domestic prices. We must use every tool at our disposal to help these hardworking Americans remain competitive and ensure that the rich traditions of this industry are passed down to future generations.”
The U.S. shrimp industry supports 15,000 jobs in Louisiana, according to Cassidy, with a USD 1.3 billion (EUR 1.2 billion) annual economic impact.
“Even today with the duties in place, imports dominate the market and undercut domestic prices,” Graves wrote the commission. “If these orders are revoked, the situation will only get worse; the dam will break, and the Louisiana shrimp industry will collapse under the pressures of an increased flood of imports. The domestic industry will be forced to cut prices to unsustainable levels, lose sales, slash production, or tie up their boats permanently.”
Cassidy and Graves are not the only lawmakers to voice support for extending the duties. U.S. senators John Kennedy (R-Louisiana) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi), and U.S. Rep. Weber (R-Texas) have also stood behind the extension, according to the American Shrimp Producers Association (ASPA).
“As a unified industry, we fought hard to get the antidumping duty orders imposed and we have had to continue to fight every day since to keep them in place,” Southern Shrimp Alliance Executive Director John Williams said. “Having Senator Cassidy, Representative Graves, and other congressional allies in our corner while we do so has been hugely helpful.”
Since initiating the sunset review in May 2022, the International Trade Commission has gathered questionnaires from U.S. shrimp fishermen and processors and information from foreign companies to inform its decision. On April 11, ASPA, the Southern Shrimp Alliance and Texas-based shrimp producer Bowers Seafood went before the commission to testify in favor of the extension.
The International Trade Commission is set to vote on continuing the duties on 1 June. If renewed, this would be the third time the commission has extended the duties.
Separately, in March, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced plans to continue imposing a 4.76 percent tariff on nearly 200 Indian shrimp exporters as part of an annual review of the antidumping duties.
Photo courtesy of Chuck Wagner/Shutterstock
