The Chairman of the Vietnamese Fisheries Association Nguyen Viet Thang has protested at the US ’s recent decision to uphold its anti-dumping duties on imports of Vietnamese Tra and Basa fish (pangasius fish).
“This decision will cause difficulties for both Vietnamese businesses and fish breeders,” Thang said during talks with the Vietnam News Agency on June 18.
The US International Trade Commission (ITC) on June 15 voted to maintain its ruling on anti-dumping duties imposed on several categories of frozen Vietnamese fish fillets on the grounds that tariff reductions could harm its own domestic breeding industry.
After recent reviews, the US has adjusted its anti-dumping duties on many Vietnamese businesses, with some of them even enjoying zero taxation.
“This move shows that the US side has recognised that Vietnam did not dump Tra and Basa fish on the US market,” Thang said.
During this time, Vietnamese Tra and Basa breeders have faced significant losses due to the effects of the global economic crisis.
According to the Mekong Delta Seafood Association, some breeders in the Mekong delta have reduced their farm areas by 40 percent.
Analysts predict that the output of Tra fish raised in the Mekong delta would contract by 40 percent this year, greatly affecting processing plants.
Apart from upholding the anti-dumping duties, the US is considering putting Vietnamese Tra and Basa fish in the same category as US bred catfish.
“If this decision is adopted, it will become a new barrier to exports of Vietnamese pangasius fish to this market,” Thang emphasised.
He added that this information has concerned Vietnamese fish breeders as “they have been observing strict regulations regarding food safety and hygiene and the origin of products.”
Thang also pointed out that the US administration’s decision was irrelevant as previously they did not agree to imports of Vietnamese Tra and Basa fish termed as catfish over fears that this would affect their domestic catfish breeding industry.
For that reason, Vietnamese Tra and Basa are now called pangasius.
This has had a great impact on Vietnamese Tra and Basa breeders as they have suffered the effects from the economic recession and have had to rely on the same Government assistance as other industries.
At present, the fisheries sector occupies an important role in Vietnam ’s national economy. It earned an export value of 4.5 billion USD in 2008, including 1.5 billion USD from Tra and Basa products.
The US is the fourth largest importer of Vietnamese Tra and Basa fish./.
