The US Department of Commerce has acknowledged for the first time that Vietnamese shrimp exporters did not dump their products in the US market, reported the Vietnam Association of Shrimp Export and Processing (VASEP).

Under the DOC’s preliminary decision, applicable to the period from February 1, 2011, to January 31, 2012, all Vietnamese mandatory and voluntary defendants will be subject to a zero-percent tariff.

The two mandatory defendants involved in this administrative review are Minh Phu Seafood Corporation and Nha Trang Seafood Company.

According to the VASEP, the decision offers hope to Vietnamese shrimp exporters amid a troubled market.

The US , behind Japan , was Vietnam ’s second largest shrimp importer last year, generating 454 million USD and accounting for 20 percent of Vietnam ’s shrimp exports.

In January, 2013, the US surpassed Japan to become the largest importer of Vietnamese shrimp with year-on-year growth of nearly 37 percent.-VNA