|
ITC
approves shrimp tariffs; wants tsunami impact
review for cases involving Thailand, India
The
International Trade Commission voted unanimously
to impose
tariffs on U.S. warm-water shrimp imports Thursday
but against duties for canned shrimp imports.
Also, after a four-hour delay, the six-member
commission voted to consider the impact of the
tsunami in the cases of India and Thailand.
The International Trade Commission voted unanimously
to impose tariffs on U.S. warm-water shrimp imports
Thursday but against duties for canned shrimp
imports. Also, after a four-hour delay the six-member
commission voted to consider the impact of the
tsunami in the cases of India and Thailand.
The ITC’s vote confirmed that warm-water
shrimp imports “materially injured or threatened
with material injury” the U.S. shrimp industry,
as it did in a preliminary vote last February.
The Department of Commerce will now issue antidumping
duty orders by the end of the month, prompting
the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to begin
collecting cash deposits on targeted imports.
In what is described as “changed circumstances”,
the ITC did re-open a period for public comment
to allow arguments for and against incorporating
the impact of the tsunami in the antidumping
cases.
The vote was originally scheduled
for 11 a.m. (EST) but was delayed after one
commission member
wanted to discuss the tsunami’s impact
on shrimp farming areas in Asia, particularly
Indonesia, India and Thailand, which all bore
the brunt of the tsunami’s force.
Last month, the U.S. Department of Commerce
issued final dumping margins on frozen and canned
warm-water shrimp from Brazil, China, Ecuador,
India, Thailand and Vietnam.
The $2.3 billion shrimp antidumping case has
two components. The ITC investigates the question
of injury to the domestic shrimp industry and
the department looks into whether dumping has
occurred and, if so, to what extent.
If the ITC finds shrimp imports “materially
injured or threatened with material injury” the
U.S. shrimp industry, as it did in a preliminary
vote last February, the department will issue
antidumping duty orders by the end of the month,
prompting the U.S. Customs and Border Protection
to begin collecting cash deposits on targeted
imports.
Some tariffs could change
from the department’s
final determination due to calculation errors.
However, any appeals to the U.S. Court of International
Trade must be filed within 30 days of the publication
of the department's final order.
The Wave
|
