FDA implements Import Alert on farmed shrimp from Peninsular Malaysia
April 2016
Announcement Date: April 1, 2016
Based on extensive evidence amassed by SSA indicating that Chinese shrimp was been fraudulently transshipped through Malaysia to evade antidumping duties and FDA Import Alerts, the FDA conducted extensive testing of Malaysian shrimp imports during fiscal year 2015. The FDA found that 32 percent of all samples of Malaysian shrimp tested positive for nitrofurans and/or chloramphenicol and, in result, implemented an Import Alert on all farmed shrimp from peninsular Malaysia.
Exemption from the EPA NPDES Discharge Permit Requirements Extended for 3-Years
December 2014
Announcement Date: December 1, 2014
The President signed into law the “Howard Coble Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2014” which includes a 3-year extension of the current exemption for all commercial fishing vessels regardless of size (and all commercial non-fishing vessels less than 79 ft) from the EPA incidental discharge permit requirement. SSA played a leading role in creating a powerful coalition of mariners to support the exemption.
Commerce addresses evasion of antidumping duties by a Chinese exporter
September 2012
Announcement Date: September 1, 2012
Following the presentation of evidence compiled by the SSA regarding the transshipment of shrimp through Cambodia to evade antidumping duties, the U.S. Department of Commerce conducted an investigation of the Chinese exporter Hilltop International and its affiliated U.S. importer Ocean Duke Corp. After Hilltop declined to answer Commerce’s questions on the topic, the agency imposed 112.81 percent antidumping duties on shrimp import entries over multiple years. Along with the U.S. Department of Justice, the Southern Shrimp Alliance defended Commerce’s actions before federal courts, with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upholding the agency.
Commerce eliminates exclusion of dusted shrimp from antidumping duties
November 2011
Announcement Date: November 1, 2011
Over the objection of the SSA, the U.S. Department of Commerce exempted “dusted” shrimp from the scope of the antidumping duty orders issued in February 2005. After the trade relief took effect, the “dusted” shrimp exclusion was abused by foreign exporters and U.S. importers to evade antidumping duties. The Southern Shrimp Alliance challenged Commerce’s exclusion in federal courts and the agency reversed itself, closing the “dusted” shrimp loophole.
SSA secures regional certification of shrimp industry for Trade Adjustment Assistance for Farmers
April 2010
Announcement Date: April 1, 2010
After working on improving the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Farmers (TAAF) program in order to provide more meaningful benefits to participants, the SSA successfully petitioned the U.S. Department of Agriculture for regional certification of the shrimp industry for the program. According to a report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, of the $49.7 million in financial benefits distributed under the second iteration of the TAAF program, $37.4 million (75 percent) went to members of the shrimp industry.
SSA Negotiated a long-term solution to reduce shrimp trawl effort and bycatch mortality in specific juvenile red snapper habitat areas of the Gulf
November 2006
Announcement Date: November 1, 2006
The Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council was on the brink of adopting vast time-area closures and severe gear restrictions on the shrimp trawl fishery as a means to reduce red snapper bycatch mortality as part of a long-term rebuilding plan for the overfished stock. SSA proposed a plan that called for an initial reduction of effort in those areas that has been eased as the stock is rebuilt. For the past decade since SSA’s plan was adopted by the Council, the shrimp trawl fishery has been 100% in compliance with reduction targets and not a single square inch of the Gulf of Mexico has been closed to the shrimp trawl fishery.
Antidumping duties imposed on shrimp imports from Brazil, China, Ecuador, India, Thailand, and Vietnam
February 2005
Announcement Date: February 1, 2005
After filing petitions for trade relief in December 2003, SSA demonstrated that shrimp imports from six countries were dumped at prices below fair value and that these unfairly-traded imports were causing material injury to the domestic shrimp industry.