Shrimp producers affected by foreign dumping have until August to file claims

Qualified domestic shrimp producers who have been affected by foreign dumping of shrimp have until Aug. 1, to file claims for an offset of qualifying expenditures under the Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act of 2000 commonly known as the "Byrd Amendment" according to the June 1, Federal Register notice issued by the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (BCBP).

It is unlikely that any funds collected from duty deposits on shrimp
imports will be available for distribution this year. However, if
funds are available for distribution, claims for 2005 distributions
must be received by the BCBP before Aug. 1. All claims should be
addressed to the Assistant Commissioner, Office of Finance, Bureau of
Customs and Border Protection, Revenue Division, Attention: Leigh
Redelman, P.O. Box 68940, Indianapolis, IN 46268 or if using the
street address; 6650 Telecom Drive, Suite 100, Indianapolis, IN 46278.

The June 1, Federal Register notice also identified affected domestic
producers including commercial shrimp fishermen, shrimp vessel owners, shrimp dealers and businesses who are potentially eligible to receive a distribution.

A producer is potentially eligible to receive distributions if the
producer publicly supported the shrimp antidumping petition by
submitting written support of the petition or belonged to an
organization that submitted written evidence of support for the
petition to the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) before
Dec. 8, 2004.

The Federal Register notice is available at
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/pdf/05-10497.pdf. The document at this link is extremely large and may be difficult to open and download without a high-speed Internet connection.

The BCBP requires that in order to receive distributions from the six
countries named in the antidumping duty orders, separate applications
must be submitted for each country-claim. Applicants are advised that claims require the producer to certify that it remains in operation
and continues to produce shrimp; has not been acquired by a company or business that is related to a company which opposed the antidumping investigations; has records to support each qualifying expenditure listed in the certification, and how these qualifying expenditures are determined to be related to the production of shrimp. Due to the level of detail required in listing qualified expenditures required in, it is recommended that applicants seek accounting advice from professionals.

Source:
Beauregard Daily News

About 17,000 shrimp grow in John Litz's one-acre pond in Hamblen County. The farmer, who is a state representative for Morristown, says they'll turn into about a $1,000 profit at harvest this fall.

"We farm to make a living, and to make a living we have to have money," says Litz.

But as he feeds his investment, Litz wonders how much longer it'll be profitable if Congress passes the Central American Free Trade Agreement.

Fresh water shrimping just started catching on in Tennessee about five years ago, but opponents of the free trade agreement fear if CAFTA passes, the state won't be able to hang on to this industry.

"If CAFTA does pass, I think this is pretty much over for me," says Litz.

The group Americans for Fair Trade says CAFTA will drive the family farmer off his land.
Ernest Baynard is on a regional tour visiting Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina telling people why he thinks CAFTA is a bad deal.

"We've lost almost a million jobs to NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement), our farm economy's been hurt by NAFTA, CAFTA's more of the same," says Baynard.

The CEO of the Knoxville Area Chamber Partnership sees things differently.

"In order for us to sell to other buyers throughout the globe, we have to be willing for them to sell to us," says Mike Edwards.

Proponents of CAFTA point out most Central American exports already come into the U.S. duty free, but U.S. products face heavy tariffs there. Edwards says breaking down trade barriers will help level the playing field.

"We don't need to have our markets locked out to where we're shut out of other foreign markets," says Edwards.

Those who call CAFTA a raw deal and those who call it the right deal, predict a close vote in the U.S. House. It passed the Senate last week 54 - 45. If CAFTA is signed into law, it would be phased in during the next decade.

Mark Schnyder, Reporter
WBIR-TV, an NBC Affiliate
Knoxville, Tennessee
http://www.wbir.com