The American Shrimp Processors Association (ASPA) recently made its case to maintain antidumping orders on imported shrimp from India, Thailand and Vietnam before the International Trade Commission (ITC). It will vote on maintaining or revoking the antidumping orders on June 1.
On April 11, the ITC conducted a hearing in connection with its Third Sunset Review on the antidumping orders. The ASPA presented five witnesses from shrimp processing companies in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida who relayed stories about the continuing injury caused by increasing volumes of shrimp exported to the United States market at prices below production cost or less than they would fetch in home or third-country markets.
“Despite an all-time low market share of 6.3% and extremely low operating margins, ASPA’s members remain united and committed to do whatever it takes to survive. We appreciate the Commission providing our members the opportunity to tell their stories in hopes that we continue to have some discipline on imported shrimp,” said ASPA Board President Trey Pearson after the hearing, as he urged the industry to keep fighting.
Several US Senators and Congressmen weighed in with letters of support to the ITC. Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) has long supported the domestic shrimp industry, noting in his letter to the ITC that every tool at its disposal must be used “to help these hardworking Americans remain competitive and endure that the rich tradition of this industry are passed down to future generations.”
Senators John Kennedy (R-LA) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), as well as Congressmen Garret Graves (R-LA) and Randy Weber (R-TX) have also supported the industry’s efforts either through testimony or otherwise.
ASPA was joined at the ITC hearing by members of the Southern Shrimp Alliance who also raised their voices in support of the antidumping orders and along with Trey Pearson thanked the elected officials for sending letters.
