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Shrimp Imports to U.S.
- New Record Highs
The United States imported a record
1.14 billion pounds of shrimp last year, despite
market uncertainty caused by a trade dispute
between America and the world's leading shrimp
exporting nations.
The record-breaking voolume is
only 29 million pounds above the 2003 import
level, according to federal statistics released
Thursday. The value of shrimp imports fell $80
million from a year ago, when the United States
imported $3.76 billion worth of shrimp.
Cuts in shipments, some severe,
from America's previous top four suppliers -
Thailand, China, Vietnam, and India - were buoyed
by Indonesia's heavy shipments of frozen, peeled
shrimp and breaded shrimp. Indonesia's exports
jumped 54 percent last year, making it America's
third largest supplier of shrimp behind Thailand
and China.
The shrimp market entered 2004
spooked by the New Year's Eve filing of six antidumping
petitions against Thailand, China, Vietnam, India,
Brazil, and Ecuador.
A first quarter surge in shrimp
import volume was followed by months of weaker
trade. The probability of a volume increase last
year seemed unlikely as late as October, when
year-to-date import figures lagged behind those
of 2003.
The $2.3 billion antidumping suit
was costly and rancorous, resulting in duties
on nearly three-fourths of the nation's shrimp
supply.
U.S. market's top 10 shrimp suppliers
of 2004 (in metric tons; percent change from
2003)
Thailand: 132,141 -1%
China: 65,976 -19%
Indonesia 46,966 +54%
India:
41,004 -10%
Ecuador: 37,509 +10%
Viet Nam: 37,099 -35%
Mexico: 28,989 +12%
Bangladesh: 17,379 +53%
Venezuela: 16,268 +39%
Honduras: 11,002 +12%
The Wave
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