Commerce to rule on shrimp dumping by Brazil, other countries

Commerce to rule on shrimp dumping by Brazil, other countries    The U.S. Department of Commerce is scheduled to release preliminary rulings on the potential dumping of shrimps on the U.S. market by Brazil, Ecuador, India and Thailand on July 28, according to trade law firm Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg P.A.
   Commerce already issued Tuesday rulings that Chinese and Vietnamese frozen and canned shrimp were being dumped on the American market.
   Dumping margins range from 7.67 percent to 112.81 percent for shrimp imports from China and 12.11 percent to 93.13 percent for similar imports from Vietnam, according to Commerce. It defines dumping as the import of goods at a price below the home market or a third-country price or below the cost of production.
   For imports from all but two Chinese shrimp exporters falling within the scope of the investigation, bond or cash deposit requirements will be imposed retroactively to mid-April 2004, Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg said.
   “Importers of record will have to post bonds or cash deposits for Vietnam effective with the date of publication of the preliminary determination in the Federal Register, which should occur on or about July 12,” it added. Shrimp imports from Vietnam are not subject to retroactive potential antidumping duty liability.
   Commerce cited statistics showing the U.S. imported $419 million worth of shrimp from China in 2003, up from $285 million in 2002. Shrimp imports from Vietnam amounted to $588 million in 2003, up from $477 million in 2002.