The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) has requested the US Department of Commerce (DOC) to review the preliminary result of anti-dumping duty administrative review on shrimp products imported from Vietnam in the 12th period of review (POR 12). 

Processing shrimp for export

Under the preliminary result of the POR12 (from February 1, 2016 to January 31, 2017), the Sao Ta Foods JSC (Fimex), which was the only compulsory respondent in the administrative review, was given a tariff of 25.39 percent. Therefore, the anti-dumping duty margin imposed for Fimex was also applied to the rest Vietnamese shrimp exporters.

VASEP said on March 8 that the association, along with Fimex and all of its members, believe that the result was issued in error.  

“For multiple years now, Vietnamese exporters have been examined during the administrative review process and none of them have received a dumping margin higher than a single-digit percentage rate,” VASEP said, noting that Fimex  was examined in the 9th administrative review and received a rate of zero percent. 

Fimex found that  a conversion factor from headless to head-on shrimp had been applied incorrectly.  If the conversion had been applied correctly, the margin would be only 1.19 percent.   

VASEP called on DOC to make timely and fair adjustment for the Fimex and other Vietnamese shrimp exporters.

According to VASEP, though the preliminary conclusion has yet to take effect, or be applied, and the final conclusion can be different, it can still affect US importers and the shipment volume of Vietnamese shrimp to the country, particularly during the time pending the DOC’s final announcement.

Vietnam saw a surge in shrimp exports to most markets in 2017, except for the US, which showed a seven percent reduction to 659 million USD, according to VASEP.

The association attributed the drop to the impacts of anti-dumping duty.

The US is at present the fourth biggest importer of Vietnamese shrimp. It used to be the biggest several years ago.-VNA