US hikes antidumping duties on Indian shrimp

Indian seafood producers have received a jolt after the United States decided to hike up anti-dumping duties on the country’s shrimp exports.

India’s Business Standard reported that the U.S. Department of Commerce determined in a preliminary review that certain frozen warm-water shrimp from India was sold in the United States at less-than-normal value during its period of review (POR) lasting from 1 February, 2016 through 31 January, 2017. As a result, the DoC set the new antidumping duty at 2.34 percent, up from the previous rate of 0.84 percent.

One Indian shrimp exporter has received an exemption from the antidumping tax. Liberty Group, one of two mandatory respondents to the review, received a zeroed-out rate for its tax. The other mandatory respondent, Devi Fisheries, received the 2.34 percent rate after its review, and, according to U.S. trade law, that rate now applies to all other Indian shrimp exporters to the United States.

“We preliminarily determine that sales to the United States have been made below normal value and, therefore, are subject to anti-dumping duties,” the DoC said in a prepared statement. “If these preliminary results are adopted in the final results of this review, we will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to assess anti-dumping duties on all appropriate entries. We invite all interested parties to comment on these preliminary results.”

The U.S. is the largest importer of Indian shrimp, taking in an estimated 188,617 metric tons during 2016-17, up 22.7 percent in volume 30 percent in value over the prior year. More than 32 percent of the shrimp consumed in the United States last year came from India.

Tara Patnaik, chairman of shrimp exporter Falcon Marine Exports Ltd., told the Business Standard, cautioned not to consider the preliminary rates announced by the United States as finished business.

“This is preliminary determination of duty declared by the United States,” Patnaik said. “When the final duty will be declared we will know the impact.”

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