The American Shrimp Processors Association strongly condemns the proposed settlement and revocation of the antidumping order on imported shrimp from Thailand. ASPA believes that the Southern Shrimp Alliance, the purported representative of the domestic shrimp industry, is selling out the American shrimp industry to Thailand in order to make a quick buck.

"Removing the order on shrimp from Thailand will further depress our market at a time when harvesters and processors are fighting for market share and reasonable prices," the group said in a statement.

SSA and the Thai Frozen Foods Association announced a settlement proposal on Nov. 2. The announcement provided no details on the amount of money SSA would receive in the settlement or what SSA would do with the money received in the settlement. SSA and TFFA filed a joint request for a changed circumstances review at the Department of Commerce on November 12, 2009 to effectuate the proposed settlement. ASPA immediately filed its opposition and the Department of Commerce rejected the request on Nov. 18, finding that the SSA does not represent substantially all of the domestic shrimp industry.

Assisting SSA in its efforts to obtain the proposed settlement is the lobbying firm of former Senators John Breaux and Trent Lott. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, a non-partisan group that tracks lobbying fees and federal campaign contributions, the Breaux-Lott group has reported lobbying income of $515,000 from SSA for 2007 and 2008.

USAgNet - 12/29/2009

Source: www.wisconsinagconnection.com