The US is investigating other means of collecting duties on Indian and Thai shrimp imports after a recent World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling ordered that it lift special bonds on the same, a US shrimp fishery group stated on Thursday.

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) notified the industry on Wednesday that it would honour a 2008 WTO ruling - taken in response to complaints from Thailand and India - that called on the United State to anul its "enhanced bonding requirement" (EBR) for cheap shrimp imports.

Indian and Thai shrimp exporters to the US were made to post bonds covering full anti-dumping duties on shrimp imports in 2004 after the CBP found many importers failed to pay these once the fish passed US customs. The WTO however ruled the policy violated global trade guidelines.

US Customs stated it is exploring alternative options to the bonds policy in a federal notice published on Wednesday .

"CBP is not abandoning its duty to protect revenue or its requirement of sufficient security," the agency said, according to Reuters India.

John Williams, a representative for the Southern Shrimp Alliance (SSA), a wild shrimp industry group from the south of the United States, backed the government's stance: "We encourage CBP to implement new measures to collect duties owed on unfairly traded shrimp imports as soon as possible."

Thai seafood exporters such as Thai Union Frozen Products, Charoen Pokphand Foods and Seafresh Industry had been among those affected by the longstanding CBP bonds policy.

The ruling was also of interest to Indian exporters Avanti Feeds, Uniroyal Marine Exports, Waterbase and unlisted exporters Devi Seafoods and Falcon Marine Exports, among others.

Last year, the United States imported 182,370 tonnes of shrimp from its number one supplier Thailand for USD 1.28 billion, show US National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) statistics.

Total US imports that year were 564 million tonnes worth USD 4.093 billion.

By Denise Recaldeeditorial@fis.com

Friday, April 03, 2009, 21:50 (GMT + 9)

Source: www.fis.com