The US’s recent ruling to impose unprecedentedly high anti-dumping duties on tra fish fillets from Vietnam lacks a legal basis, said the Agro Processing and Market Development Authority (APMDA) under the Vietnam Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).  

The agency made the statement following the US Department of Commerce (DOC)’s release of the final results of the 13th administrative review (POR13) of anti-dumping duties on frozen pangasius fillets from Vietnam for the period from August 1, 2015 to July 31, 2016. Accordingly, Vietnam’s frozen Tra fish fillets will be subject to antidumping duties of 2.39 – 7.74 USD per kilogramme. 

The decision is unfair and illogical to Vietnamese businesses, and goes against normal legal regulations on anti-dumping, the agency said, adding that the levy of the unprecedented high rate reflects the DOC’s groundless, subjective imposition. 

Therefore, the Department of Trade Defence under the Ministry of Industry and Trade has coordinated with relevant ministries and agencies, especially the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) and the Vietnam Pangasius Association (VINAPA), and businesses specialising in tra fish export processing, to conduct necessary legal procedures to bring the case to the US Court of International Trade (CIT) as soon as possible in order to protect the rights and interests of Vietnamese firms. 

Besides, the Vietnamese side has also held more bilateral and multilateral meetings to discuss two-way trade between Vietnam and the US and to show the efforts of the Vietnamese Government and the business community in complying with regulations and principles relating to the code of conduct in international trade to defend interests of the sides concerned in an harmonious manner.

The APMDA suggested domestic tra fish businesses proactively shift to other markets like China, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and ASEAN, and upgrade production conditions to improve the quality and safety of products, meeting regulations set by importers. 

At the same time, they should cut product prices, diversify products, increase the content of value-added products and create production chains so as to reduce unhealthy competition that affects the quality and price of Vietnamese tra fish in the global market, the agency said. 

According to the agency, Vietnam’s tra fish exports to the US slid from 22.3 percent in 2016 to 19 percent in 2017. Impacts of the anti-dumping duty ruling and the catfish investigation programme of the US would worsen the situation. 

In January 2018, Vietnam’s seafood made up only 6.8 percent in value and 6 percent in value of the US’s total seafood imports, making Vietnam drop from the fourth place to the seventh in the group of the US’s largest seafood suppliers. 

The APMDA said that the US’s ruling would affect the brand name, image and prestige of Vietnamese tra fish in the international market, as well as business and production strategies of local firms. 

Earlier, the VASEP and domestic tra fish business also oppose the DOC’s unfair decision.-VNA