India still a significant exporter of seafoods

KOCHI: The U.S. government has recommended that two Indian shrimp exporters be chosen as mandatory respondents for the third administrative review to determine the quantum of anti-dumping duty to be imposed on Indian shrimp imports.

The U.S. Department of Commerce has started the third review in mid-April for ascertaining the anti-dumping duty to be imposed on Indian shrimp imports for which it received individual responses from more than 300 shrimp exporting companies from India. However, only two have been chosen because of the volume of imports, a communication from the Seafood Exporters Association of India here said. An Indian exporter had contended that the U.S. Department of Commerce should not rely exclusively on Customs and Border Protection data of the U.S. alone. It should also rely on a quantity and value questionnaire to determine the largest producer/exporter from India. However, due to resources constraints, the U.S. Department has decided to go ahead with the Customs and Border Protection data.

Although shrimp exports to the U.S. had fallen by 24 per cent in volume and 18 per cent in value between 2006 and 2007, the U.S. still remained a significant player in India’s seafood export market and the outcome of the third review would remain significant for India, a leading exporter based in Aroor said.

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008

Source: www.hindu.com