As many as 30 out of the 84 Vietnamese shrimp enterprises named in the anti-dumping lawsuit have not yet replied to the US Department of Commerce tariff survey, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).
“We have been trying to contact these enterprises to provide more information relating to the administrative review, but have not been able to locate them,” said an official from the association.
The association said they may have simply changed their addresses, and suggesting they promptly contact them for further information.
The DOC had announced the administrative review of tariffs imposed on 84 Vietnamese shrimp exporters. The DOC sent a questionnaire to the enterprises, for which the deadline was initially set for April 28.
However, the DOC later decided to extend the deadline to May 5, 2006, by that time it had received answers from 34 Vietnamese shrimp exporting enterprises.
The enterprises include Minh Phu, Minh Quy, Camimex, Seaprodex Minh Hai, Nha Trang Seafoods, Amanda Foods Vietnam, Sao Ta Joint Stock Company, Fimex, Cadovimex, STAPIMEX, Seaprimexco, Cafatex, Cuu Long Sea Pro, Minh Hai Jostoco, Phuong Nam, Ngoc Sinh, COFIDEC, Fish One, CATACO, Kim Anh, Thuan Phuoc, Seaprodex Hanoi, Seaprodex Da Nang, Kisimex, C.P Vietnam, Nha Trang Fisco, Phu Cuong, Bac Lieu Fisheries, Cam Ranh Seafoods, Incomfish, Utxi, Viet Foods, Vimexco, Grobest, FAQUIMEX and HAVICO.
The DOC again decided to extend the deadline until June 5, 2006, enabling the lagging 50 companies to answer the questions, thus giving them the opportunity to access the administrative review.
The VASEP said that until now, only 54 out of the 84 enterprises have maintained contact with VASEP.
In late 2003, an antidumping petition was filed by US shrimp farmers and processors, causing shrimp from Thailand, India, Vietnam, China, Ecuador and Brazil to be hit with tariffs of up to 113 percent by February 2005.
However high anti-dumping tariffs did not stop most of the six countries from ranking among the top 10 suppliers of shrimp to the US market last year.
Shrimp accounted for more than half of Vietnam's $2.65 billion revenues from seafood export in 2005.
VietnamNet
Vietnamese
