On Monday, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) voted to conduct full five-year (“sunset”) reviews regarding the antidumping duty orders on certain frozen warmwater shrimp from Brazil, China, India, Thailand, and Vietnam. The vote to conduct full sunset reviews was a unanimous decision of all six Commissioners.
The ITC’s notice of institution of the sunset review requested that domestic industry members and foreign producers provide the agency with information and address the likely effects of revocation of trade relief. Generally, within ninety-five (95) days of institution, the ITC will evaluate the information provided in response to the notice of institution to determine whether they reflect an “adequate” or “inadequate” level of interest in a full review.
Responses to the ITC’s notice of institution were submitted by two different U.S. shrimp industry groups: the American Shrimp Processors Association (ASPA) and the Ad Hoc Shrimp Industry Committee (AHSIC) along with the Ad Hoc Shrimp Trade Action Committee (AHSTAC). The ITC unanimously found that individually the responses provided by ASPA and AHSIC/AHSTAC were each adequate and, further, that collectively the responses of the U.S. shrimp industry reflected an adequate level of interest in a full review.
Having voted to conduct a full review, the ITC will begin a process that includes the issuance of detailed questionnaires to U.S. producers, importers, and foreign exporters and a public hearing.
“The Southern Shrimp Alliance welcomes the Commission’s decision to conduct full reviews of the antidumping duties on shrimp imports,” said John Williams, the Executive Director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance. “The Commission’s unanimous vote is the result of the efforts of exceptional members of this industry who volunteered their time and energy to get the agency information and demonstrate the importance of trade relief to shrimpers. All of us – particularly those that were simply too busy to respond to the Commission’s request for information – owe these industry members our thanks for a job well done.”
The ITC’s announcement of the agency’s vote to conduct full reviews is available here: https://usitc.gov/press_room/news_release/2016/er0606ll605.htm
A copy of the ITC’s voting sheet is available here: https://shrimpalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Adequacy-Voting-Sheet-Review-2.pdf