[enviro-vlc] Vietnam Protest U.S. DOC Anti-dumping Tariff Hikes on Tra Fish

[vern weitzel]

From: Stephen Denney <srdenney at gmail.com>
Date: 17 September 2010 10:43:36 AM PDT
To: vnnews-l at anu.edu.au
Subject: [vnnews-l] FR-US/Trade: Vietnam Protest U.S. DOC Anti-dumping Tariff Hikes on Tra Fish

Vietnam News Briefs: Agriculture: Vietnam Protest U.S. DOC
Anti-dumping Tariff Hikes on Tra Fish
Vietnam News Briefs (Vietnam) - Wednesday, September 15, 2010
from the VIETNAM NEWS BRIEFS, September 15, 2010 Authorities and
seafood exporters are protesting against a preliminary decision of the
U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) on increasing anti-dumping tariffs
on Vietnamese tra fish, state media reported Sept 15.

Vietnamese tra fish has not been dumped in the U.S. market, Truong
Dinh Hoe, general secretary of the Vietnam Association of Seafood
Exporters and Producers, insisted at a meeting in Ho Chi Minh City on
Sept 14.

Hoe said Vietnamese tra fish exporters will face numerous difficulties
in exporting to the U.S. if the DOC does not change its decision in
the final result scheduled to be announced on late this month.

Under the DOC's preliminary decision of the sixth administrative
review on anti-dumping tariffs on tra fish imported from Vietnam from
Aug 1, 2008 to July 31, 2009, Vietnamese exporters will have to pay
high taxes ranging from 0% to more than 130%.

Such big exporters as Vinh Hoan, Agifish, Bien Dong, South Vina will
likely be subject to the 130% tax, while the tax for others will be
63%.

The general secretary said that the DOC's comparison between Vietnam,
which produces one million tons of tra fish yearly, and the
Philippines with an annual output of 12 tons, is unacceptable.

The U.S. lawyer for Vietnamese exporters on the issue, Andrew B.
Schroth, said that Vietnamese firms should demonstrate that the DOC's
selection of third-country market Philippines instead of Bangladesh as
a benchmark for determining the anti-dumping margins for Vietnamese
tra fish, resulting in the increase in the tariffs, is wrong.

Vietnamese firms have six months to escape from the bad situation, by
proving that they did not dump tra fish in the U.S.

The tariffs are scheduled to be imposed from Mar 1, 2011.

He added that he U.S. Catfish Association put pressure on the DOC's
decision, so Vietnamese firms should seek for cooperation from the
Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development, and the Vietnam Embassy to deal with the situation.

Vietnam exported $134 million worth of tra fish to the U.S. in 2009.

Between Jan and Aug of 2010, the export revenues grew to nearly $80 million.

(Nong Thon Ngay Nay Sept 15, Sai Gon Giai Phong Sept 15) Copyright
2010 Vietnam News Briefs
Provided By: Financial Times Limited - Asia Africa Intelligence Wire
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