Panel requested for US shrimp case
A shrimp farm in Hai Ninh Commune, central Quang Binh Province’s Quang Ninh District. Viet Nam requests a panel to resolve a case involving shrimp exports to the US. — VNA/VNS Photo Tran Viet
HCM CITY (VNS)— The Vietnamese Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva requested the establishment of a panel at an official meeting of the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) on Wednesday, aiming to resolve a case involving shrimp exports to the US.
Other members that registered as third parties at the meeting included the EU, China, Japan, Norway and Thailand.
The US Department of Commerce (DOC) is considering imposing anti-subsidy duties on certain frozen warm-water shrimp imported from Viet Nam and six other countries.
Previously, the US International Trade Commission (ITC) concluded that the US domestic shrimp industry was injured by subsidised shrimp imports from the seven countries, including Viet Nam.
Viet Nam’s frozen shrimp has been imposed with anti-dumping duties since 2004. If the US concludes that Vietnamese shrimp is being sold at a subsidised price in the US market, local exporters will face stiff trade sanctions.
Viet Nam also requested a review of the US side’s implementation of a verdict by the DSB over the case.
The country officially requested consultations with the US concerning a number of anti-dumping measures on certain frozen warm-water shrimp imported from Viet Nam.
The intended consultations include three key contents, including zeroing, countrywide rate and sampling, of which the panel in the case made a verdict supporting two of the three contents.
DOC received an anti-subsidy petition from the Coalition of Gulf Shrimp Industries against frozen warm-water shrimp imported from Viet Nam and six other countries on Jan 18.
Meanwhile representatives from the seven countries exporters said there was insufficient evidence to prove their shrimp industries had received Government subsidies.
They said that the petition was actually to seek protection for the US shrimp industry but would hit US consumers instead.
Viet Nam has already sent a notice of official opposition to the US over the case. The petition also faced opposition from US shrimp importers, including shrimp processing companies. — VNS