ITC Votes 4-2 That Shrimp Imports Don't Hurt U.S. Industry
The International Trade Commission decided on a 4-2 vote Sept. 20 that a U.S. industry is neither materially injured nor threatened by imports of frozen warmwater shrimp from China, Ecuador, India, Malaysia, and Vietnam that the U.S. Department of Commerce has determined are subsidized. Commissioners Daniel Pearson, Dean Pinkert, David Johanson, and Meredith Broadbent voted it wasn't threatened. Chairman Irving Williamson and Commissioner Shara Aranoff voted in it was, the ITC said.
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As a result of the ITC decision, Commerce will not issue countervailing duty orders on imports of these products from those countries. The case involved Investigation Nos. 701-TA-491-493, 495, and 497, and included frozen warmwater shrimp and prawns, whether wild-caught or farm-raised, head-on or head-off, shell-on or peeled, tail-on or tail-off, deveined or not, cooked or raw, or otherwise processed in frozen form, regardless of size. Frozen shrimp and prawns that are packed with marinade, spices or sauce are included. In addition, food preparations (including dusted shrimp), which are not "prepared meals," that contain more than 20 percent by weight of shrimp or prawn are also included.
Excluded are: (1) breaded shrimp and prawns; (2) shrimp and prawns generally classified in the Pandalidae family and commonly referred to as coldwater shrimp, in any state of processing; (3) fresh shrimp and prawns whether shell-on or peeled; (4) shrimp and prawns in prepared meals; (5) dried shrimp and prawns; (6) canned warmwater shrimp and prawns; and (7) certain "battered shrimp."
The petition was the Coalition of Gulf Shrimp Industries, Biloxi, MS, and the investigation was instituted Dec. 28, 2012. About $1.9 billion worth of the product was imported from the affected countries during 2012, ITC said.