In a step that settled two WTO disputes brought by Vietnam, the United States rescinded anti-dumping duties against the Minh Phu Group for its shipments of frozen shrimp. The Commerce Department said anti-dumping duties will remain in place for all other exporters of warm-water shrimp from Vietnam.
In an announcement, the Commerce Department said “certain domestic litigation will be resolved and duty deposits will be refunded to the Minh Phu Group. “I am pleased that we have resolved this challenging matter in a way that is agreeable to the parties and that preserves our ability to effectively remedy unfair trade, providing U.S. businesses and workers the opportunity to compete on a level playing field,” said Assistant Commerce Secretary Paul Piquado.
In March, Tuoi Tre News, based in Ho Chi Minh City, said the Commerce Department proposed higher duties on frozen shrimp from Vietnam, including shipments from the Minh Phu Goup. The higher rates were based on the 10th-annual review of the Vietnamese shrimp industry and the U.S. conclusion that the shrimp was being sold at unfairly low prices. The United States was expected to finalize the rates for duties this month. Asian nations are the leading source of U.S. shrimp imports.