VASEP says DOCs antidumping rate on shrimp inaccurate

CAN THO – The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) said in a recent statement that there is a mistake in preliminary results of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s (DOC) 12th review of the antidumping order on Vietnam’ shrimp.

VASEP said in a press release on March 8 that DOC has issued preliminary results of the 12th administrative review, the period from February 1, 2016 to January 31, 2017.

In particular, the rate on Sao Ta Foods Joint Stock Company (Fimex) and other companies is 25.39%. As explained by VASEP, as Fimex was picked as the sole mandatory respondent in the review, the rate imposed on Fimex is applicable to other exporters.

VASEP said that it and other Vietnamese shrimp exporters are concerned about this rate, believing there is a mistake in the calculation process as none of the exporters have been charged with such a high antidumping margin in the past administrative reviews.

“We are shocked by this result,” general director of Fimex Ho Quoc Luc was quoted by the VASEP as saying.

Fimex on March 8 said that after the preliminary results were issued, the company’s lawyers approached the rate calculation of DOC, which showed that DOC used incorrect data.

According to Fimex, if correct data were used, the antidumping margin would be 1.19%, much lower than 4.78% currently charged and 25.39% as announced in the preliminary results. The mistake concerns a conversion ratio from headless to head-on shrimp.

Vietnam’s shrimp exports to the U.S. market reached US$659 million last year, falling by 7% against the previous year due to antidumping duties. The U.S. has no longer been the top shrimp market for Vietnam but ranked fourth, according to VASEP.