Dumping charges

Devi Sea Foods will not have to pay anti-dumping duty
Around 68 respondents are to pay 1.69% levy.
70 firms that do not undertake significant exports will have to pay 10.17% duty
The Second Administrative Review of the anti-dumping duty on shrimp exports from India to the US has in its Final Report slashed the duty to 1.69 per cent. The First Administrative Review had imposed an anti-dumping duty of 7.22 per cent, sources in the Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI) said. The review was conducted by the US Department of Commerce.

Major boost

“This would provide a major boost for Indian shrimp exports to the US. Even if Indian exporters have to pay the mandated customs bonds to the US Customs, it would henceforth be only at the rate of 1.69 per cent,” the SEAI sources added. India had earlier won the case against US customs bonding at the WTO. For every consignment of shrimp exports from India to the US, the exporter had to pay 7.22 per cent anti-dumping duty as well as customs bonds at the same rate. Though India has won the case against customs bonding, the US has time till September to appeal against the judgment.

Though 319 exporters/producers from India had requested for the review, numerous companies did not respond to the US Department of Commerce’s requests for additional information. Finally, the review covered 201 exporters/producers from India and the respondents, which the US Department of Commerce chose for individual review, were Devi Sea Foods Ltd and Falcon Marine Exports Ltd.

The Second Review found that there was no dumping practiced by Devi Sea Foods during the concerned period and the company will not have to pay any anti-dumping duty for its shrimp exports to the US. However anti-dumping duty will continue for Falcon Marine Exports and 67 other Indian companies who have been respondents, although at a lower rate of 1.69 per cent.

The review was conducted against certain fresh water shrimps and shrimp products that are processed from warm water shrimp and prawns through freezing and are sold in any count and size, the report said.

The companies that who have not responded to the review have been imposed 110 per cent duty and some 70-odd companies, which had responded but did not undertake significant exports during the review period, have been imposed 10.17 per cent duty.

Implementation

The new duties will come into effect only once the findings are published in the Federal Registry, SEAI sources said.